Nightfall: Tales of a Vampire Princess
by WWWLover
Summary: Vampires can't have children. It was impossible. Well, Ana St. John broke those rules. Rated T just in case! Please Read and Review!
1. Introducing Ana and Murder by Vampire?

"Nightfall"

Based on "Moonlight"

&

"Ana!" Mick St. John yelled, as he walked into his apartment "Ana, are you here?"

Mick smiled when he saw his 17-year-old daughter come down the stairs, a cup of blood in her hand. He never thought that he would ever get the experience of becoming a father. Supposedly, Vampires couldn't have kids. Well, Ana broke the rules.

&

17 years ago, Mick met Alina, another vampire. One thing led to another and Mick woke up to find Alina sleeping next to him. He quickly left. He knew that what they had between them wasn't love. It was just a one night fling.

Then, about a month or two before, Mick found Ana. Josef Kostan, Mick's best friend, had taken her in after her mother had died. Mick, realizing that this girl had features similar to his own, took Josef aside and questioned him about her.

Josef explained to Mick that Ana's mother was accidentally killed in a fire. He told Mick that he was walking by an orphanage, and sensed that a vampire was inside. Not wanting to take the risk of the vampire secret coming out, Josef went inside, found Ana, and took her in, promising the head of the orphanage that he would find the girl's father. He then told Mick how Ana defied the rules of being a vampire…that she was the result of a one night fling between two vampires. A paternity test was taken in a special vampire lab that Josef created when he had "saved" Ana from the orphanage. The test confirmed that Ana was Mick's daughter.

Mick, of course, was overjoyed when he got the test results back. Ever since he thought he had a son with his best friend's wife, Mick longed for a family. Well, he got what he wished for.

&

"Hey, Dad" Anastasia St. John said, smiling "What's up?"

"Nothing really" Mick replied "How was school?"

"It was alright" Ana replied, sitting on the couch "My math teacher gave us a pop quiz today. Not one of my most favorite things in the world, but, what can you do?"

Mick smiled and went to pour himself a cup of blood. "Were there any messages when you got home?"

"Beth called" Ana replied, turning on the TV "She didn't say what she wanted, but she wants you to call her"

Mick took a sip of his drink and headed over to call Beth. While he was on the phone, there was a knock at the door.

"Ana, could you get that?" Mick asked, as he listened to the phone ring on the other end of the line

Ana nodded, got up from the couch, and answered the door.

"Josef!" she said, smiling, hugging the man who had "saved" her from the orphanage.

Josef smiled and put his arm around the 17-year-old. "Hey, Ana" he said "How's things?"

"Great" she replied "You?"

"Things are alright" Josef replied "Where's Mick?"

"He's on the phone with Beth"

"There's a shocker" Josef said, rolling his eyes "Got any blood left?"

"Of course" Ana replied, picking up her glass and taking a sip. She motioned for the secret closet where Mick kept the blood "Have some"

Josef smiled and went to pour himself a glass of blood. He and Ana looked up when they saw Mick come into the kitchen.

"Mick, what's wrong?" Josef asked, not even bothering to say "hi" when he saw the look on his friend's face

"There's been a murder" Mick replied, softly

"Someone we know?" Ana asked

"No" Mick replied "But, it looks like the crime was committed by a vampire"

"That's happened before" Josef said, almost with a laugh "Remember? It just turned out to be some insane professor who thought that he was a vampire"

"Coraline" Mick said, looking to Josef "Beth said that, from the security photos, it looked like the murderer was Coraline"

Ana and Josef looked to each other and then back to Mick. "Are you ok?" Ana asked, knowing all about her father's ex-wife, and how he still had feelings for her, though he was in love with Beth

Mick slowly nodded. "I'm going to see Beth" he said "She told me to meet her at the park"

"Do you want us to come?" Josef asked, taking a sip of blood

"Sure" Mick replied, putting his black jacket and sunglasses on

Mick was out of the apartment before Ana and Josef had a chance to put their jackets and sunglasses on and follow.

"What's the deal with Dad and Coraline anyway?" Ana asked, as she and Josef _tried_ to follow Mick "I mean, I know that you explained it to me, but he seems like he cares about her more than he says he does"

"Well, he did marry the girl" Josef said "Sure, that was over 50 years ago, but who knows? Coraline still has feelings for him, at least from what he told me and from what I've seen"

"Well, this ought to be interesting then"

**_My first attempt at a "Moonlight" fic! I hope that you like it!_**

**_Sorry for the short first chapter. The other chapters should be longer, depending on where I find good spots to stop! (laughs evily!)_**

**_Anyways! I hope that you like this!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	2. The Search for Coraline Begins

Beth Turner tried to smile when she saw the three vampires heading towards her. She noticed the worried look on Mick's face, and the confused look on Josef and Ana's.

Beth had not been upset when Mick had told her about Ana. In fact, she was very happy for him. He had told her many times that they couldn't have kids, and every single one of those times Beth knew that Mick really wanted one. Now that Ana was here, defying all the laws of being a vampire, Beth knew that things were getting a little better.

"Hey guys" Beth said, still attempting to smile at her boyfriend, his daughter, and his best friend "Thanks for coming"

"Are you sure that it was her?" Mick said, not even bothering to say "hi"

"From the look of the security photos, I'd say yes" Beth said, with a sigh "But, you know her better than I do"

She handed Mick some of the photos. Ana and Josef leaned in to look as well. Ana wasn't sure why she was looking, since she never met Coraline, but curiosity got the better of her.

Mick's hands were shaking as he handed the pictures back to Beth. "Yeah, it's her"

"I thought you said that Lance took Coraline away?" Josef said "I thought that you told me that you weren't going to see her again?"

"That's what I thought too" Mick said, looking at Josef

"Ah! St. John!" ADA Ben Talbot said, walking up to the group "What a surprise!"

"I called him over here, Ben" Beth said "I thought that he might be able to help"

Ben looked from Beth to Mick. Then, he noticed Josef and Ana.

"Ben, this is Josef Kostan" Beth said, smiling at Josef

"Of course" Ben said "The big tycoon. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Kostan"

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Talbot" Josef replied, shaking Ben's hand

Ben's eyes then fell, again, on Ana.

"And this is Mick's daughter, Ana" Beth said, smiling at her

Ben's eyes lit up in surprise. He turned back to Ana and smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Ana" he said, shaking Ana's hand "I'm Ben Talbot"

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Talbot"

"Can we see the body?" Mick asked, interrupting the conersation between Ben and Ana. Ben was not one of Mick's most favorite people. And, in return, Mick was not one of Ben's most favorite people.

"The body has already been taken to the morgue" Ben replied "Sorry, St. John"

Mick nodded. "Can we look at the scene?"

"The scene is off limits, as is the morgue" Ben replied. He turned to Beth. "Come on. We have to get to work"

Ben turned and walked away. Beth followed and then turned back to the three vampires. She shrugged her shoulders as if to say "I'm sorry" and then continued to walk over to Ben.

"He seems like a pleasant guy" Ana said, sarcastically, once Beth and Ben were out of earshot "He really seems to like you, Dad"

"Now what?" Josef asked

"Josef, go back to your office" Mick said "See if Ryder can find out anything on Coraline"

"What are you going to do?" Josef asked

"First, we're going to see Logan, to see if he can find anything as well" Mick replied "Then, we're going to the morgue"

He turned to Ana. "You don't have a lot of homework, do you?"

Ana smiled and crossed her arms. "Not when we have a case"

&

Logan, the vampire that is computer savvy, was playing yet another game of "Guitar Hero" when he saw that Mick and Ana were at the door. Quickly flipping the switch to let them in, Logan continued to concentrate on his game.

"Mick! Ana!" Logan said, with a smile "What can I do for you?"

"We need you to do some digging on Coraline" Mick said, standing in front of Logan's TV.

"Well, either cash or blood" Logan said, holding out his hand.

Both Ana and Mick rolled their eyes as Mick handed Logan some money. Logan, smiling, handed the game to Ana. "You can play if you want"

"Sure" Ana replied, taking the guitar

"Have you ever played before?" Logan asked, putting the money in his pocket, as Ana started a new game. Mick smiled a small smile. Ana never ceased to impress/surprise Logan.

Ana began playing. She didn't miss a note. When the song was over, she handed the guitar back to a stunned Logan.

"Does that answer your question?" Ana asked, with a smile. Mick loved it when his daughter smiled. She had the perfect smile, one that could put anyone (vampire or human) under a spell

"Alright!" Mick said, trying not to laugh at the look on Logan's face as he took the guitar out of Ana's hands "Logan! The information! I didn't pay you to drool on the floor in front of my daughter!"

"Oh! Sorry" Logan said, slightly embarrassed. He turned and sat down at his computer, putting the guitar on the floor. "What's with this anyway?" he asked "I thought that Coraline was gone? I thought that she was human?"

"Yeah, well, she's not anymore" Mick said, as he and Ana walked over to Logan and his computer. "She's a vampire again and it looks like she might have just killed someone"

"Ouch" Logan said, as he started searching for anything on Coraline "I never pictured Coraline as a murderer. Lance, yes. But, Coraline?"

"Yeah, I know" Mick said "That's why I'm investigating"

"Let's see…" Logan said, quickly reading what was on the screen "Looks like she is in L.A., but it doesn't say what she's up to"

Mick shook his head when his cell phone rang. He answered it. Logan and Ana were trying different things in the search engine. They only looked up when they heard Mick practically yell into the phone.

"Are you ok?" he asked "Are you hurt?"

Ana and Logan looked at each other and then back at Mick.

"Alright" Mick said "We'll be there in 20 minutes"

He hung up the phone and turned to Ana and Logan. "That was Beth" he said "Apparently, someone broke into her apartment"

"Is she ok?" Ana asked

"Yeah" Mick replied "Beth wasn't there when the thief broke in"

Mick looked at Logan. "Look, we have to go. But, tell me if you find anything"

Logan nodded, not even bothering to ask for more money when he saw the worried look on Mick's face. Mick and Ana headed up the stairs and out to Mick's car.

&

Ana was surprised at how fast Mick was driving.

"Dad, slow down!" Ana said "You could kill someone going this fast!"

Mick didn't say anything, didn't even slow down.

"Dad?" Ana said "Dad, are you ok?"

"I'm fine" Mick replied, keeping his eyes on the road. He slammed on his breaks when he saw some people trying to cross the road, sending both him and Ana forward.

"Ok!" exclaimed Ana, as the people crossed the road "Get out of the car!"

"Excuse me?" Mick said, as Ana got out of the car and walked around to his side

"You are not driving anymore!" Ana said, opening his door, and holding up her license "I am!"

"What makes you think I'll let you?"

"Because you almost killed two people trying to cross the street!"

Mick rolled his eyes and got out of the car. Ana got into the driver's seat and waited for Mick to get back into the car. Once he was in the car, Ana smiled.

"Now" Ana said, stepping on the gas pedal, making the car move at a normal speed "Beth said that she was fine. You need to take a chill pill before we get there. Just breathe and relax!"

"Are you saying that I don't have a right to be worried?"

"No" Ana replied "You don't have the right to drive like you did. You were going at least 50 miles per hour"

"So?"

"It's a 30 mile per hour road!"

Mick smiled and let out a small chuckle. "Fine"

Ana smiled and laughed as she continued to drive to Beth's apartment.

* * *

**_Here's the second chapter!! I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	3. A Visit to the Morgue & New Realizations

Beth was actually surprised to see Ana driving. Usually, Mick drove everywhere. It's not that he didn't trust Ana with his car. Ana was a very good driver. Mick just drove everywhere all the time.

Beth smiled when she saw Mick run up the stairs and into her apartment building. She laughed a little when she saw Ana roll her eyes and chase after her father.

Without even knocking, Beth heard Mick burst into the apartment, with Ana not too far behind.

"Beth!" he said, out of breath, rushing over to her as best he could with the apartment in its current just-been-broken-into state "Are you ok?"

"I told you I'm fine" she said "I wasn't here when this happened"

Ana closed her eyes and smelled the air, since Mick was, obviously, too concerned with Beth at the moment.

"Vampire" she said, simply, opening her eyes

"What?" Beth asked, as she and Mick turned to look at Ana.

"Vampire" Ana repeated "This was done by a vampire"

Mick sniffed the air as well, and nodded his head in agreement. "Probably Coraline"

"What would Coraline want from me?" Beth asked "I don't have anything that she wants anymore"

_Except Dad_ Ana thought, looking at Mick and Beth

"Who knows?" Mick said, with a sigh

Just then, Mick's phone rang. He stepped away from Beth to answer it. Beth then walked over to Ana and both of them started to clean up a bit.

"That was Josef" Mick said, hanging up the phone "Ryder couldn't find anything"

"Great!" Ana said "Now what?"

"Josef is coming over here" Mick replied, "Ana, he's going to take you to the morgue so you two can examine the body"

"What about us?" Beth asked, referring to herself and Mick

"We're going back to the crime scene" Mick replied "Now that the police are gone, we'll be able to get a good look"

Beth nodded. "Well, better get started on cleaning this up"

"Was anything taken?" Ana asked, as the three started putting the apartment back together

"Not from what I can tell" Beth replied "That's a plus"

"Always is" Mick said, with a smile

&

"Hey, guys – whoa!" exclaimed Josef, when he arrived at Beth's apartment "What happened here?"

"Someone broke in" Mick replied, with a sigh

"Who?" Josef asked "Was anything taken?"

"No" Beth replied "And, I have no clue who did this"

"We figured out that it was a vampire though" Ana added

"Ok…well" Josef said, looking at Ana "You ready to go?"

Ana nodded. "Bye, Dad, Bye Beth"

"See you later, Ana" Beth said, with a smile "Thank you for helping clean up"

Ana smiled and walked out of the apartment with Josef.

&

Guillermo, the vampire who worked at the morgue and who was a good blood supplier, smiled when he saw Ana and Josef walk towards him.

"Ana! Josef!" he said "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Guillermo" Ana said "Josef and I are here to see the body from the park. It's for a case we're working on"

"Hey, no problem" Guillermo replied, "Need any blood? Got a lot on hand"

"Dad and I don't need any right now" Ana replied "Josef?"

"No" Josef said, with a laugh and a smile "I prefer using the freshies"

Guillermo smiled and opened the drawer that held the victim's body in it. He drew back the blanket to reveal the face of a 17-year-old girl, whose name was Eileen Branson. Both Josef and Ana grimaced at the sight of the body.

"Good God!" exclaimed Josef

"What happened to her?" Ana asked

"That's the weird part" Guillermo said. He pointed to two fang marks on the girl's neck. "Vampire bite"

"Someone tried to turn her" Ana deducted "But, it didn't work"

Guillermo nodded. "All of her original blood was drained"

"How do you know if it was her 'original blood'?" Josef asked

"Because, when I tested the blood that was in her body, it was filled with toxins" Guillermo replied "A vampire's blood is filled with toxins. A human's blood, unless something is seriously wrong, doesn't have any toxins in it"

Ana nodded. "Thanks, Guillermo"

"No problem" Guillermo replied "By the way, where's Mick?"

"He and Beth are checking out the murder scene" Josef replied

"I see" Guillermo replied "Well, let me know if you need anything else"

"Thanks, Guillermo" Ana said "See you later"

Guillermo waved as Josef and Ana left the morgue. Then, he covered Eileen back up and closed her drawer.

&

"What are you talking about?" Mick asked. He and Beth were at the park. They had only been looking around for a few minutes when Ana called them

"There were fang marks in the girl's neck. Looks like a vampire did commit the murder, like we suspected" Ana replied "Guillermo said that the vampire tried to turn her, but it didn't work"

"Really?" Mick said, surprised "So, Coraline wanted to sire another vampire?"

This sentence perked Beth's interests, mainly because Coraline had kidnapped her when she was 4 and wanted to make Beth her daughter. The fact that Coraline wanted to sire a 17-year-old girl – the same age as Ana – sent shivers down her spine.

"Looks like it" Ana said "How's everything at the scene? Have you found anything?"

"Not yet" Mick replied "Beth and I are going to look around some more before we leave though"

"Alright" Ana said "Well, Josef is going to bring me home. Is that ok?"

"That's fine" Mick said "I'll talk to you later"

"Bye, Dad"

"Bye, Ana"

Mick hung up and turned to Beth. "Did you catch any of that?"

Beth nodded. "Coraline wanted to sire another vampire?"

"Either that or she was really hungry" Mick said, almost with a smile

"Aren't you concerned?" Beth asked, almost in shock

"For Coraline?" Mick asked "No. Well…maybe a little…more curious than anything"

"No, I mean for Ana"

"Ana?" Mick said "Why? She's safe. Josef's bringing her home right now"

"Mick, think about it" Beth said, taking a step closer to him "The victim was Ana's age. _Coraline_ was the one who accidentally killed the victim"

"Come on, Beth" Mick said "Coraline's not like that anymore. She wanted to help me, remember?"

"Mick, she kidnapped me because she wanted a family" Beth said "She knows that you don't really love her anymore, but she knows that you wanted a family. What if she's trying to get you back by siring another vampire and saying that it's your child?"

"I highly doubt that Coraline would do something like that anymore"

"I'd be careful if I were you" Beth said "I mean, she knew that you wanted a child. So, she kidnapped me. She knew that you wanted to be human. So, she became human, even if was only temporary. She seems to still be in love with you!"

"Hey" Mick said "You don't have to worry about me going back to Coraline. I love _you_, remember?"

Beth smiled a small smile. "Well, I guess that's one thing that I know I don't have to worry about"

**_Here's another chapter!!_**

**_FYI, I decided to make Josef Ana's godfather. So, in case I mention that later in the story, you guys won't be confused or anything! LOL!!_**

**_I hope that you like the chapter!! _**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	4. New Kid in School & Mysterious Boyfriend

After dropping Beth off back at her apartment, Mick headed home. Many things were racing through his mind. The main thing – Ana.

Mick knew that Ana could defend herself if need be. But, he couldn't help but think about what Beth had said about Coraline.

Would she really come after Ana? Had she changed since the last time he saw her – when she was helping him fulfill his dream? Was she reverting back to the past?

These questions and many more plagued Mick's mind as he walked into his apartment. After quickly scanning the bottom floor of the apartment for Ana, Mick headed up stairs. He found his daughter standing on their upper floor balcony.

Mick watched as Ana's dark, brown hair blew in the light breeze. Her dark, chocolate brown eyes were focused on nothing in particular, just watching the life below. He still was amazed that he created something so beautiful, so perfect.

"I know that you're there" Ana said, not turning towards him "What did you find at the crime scene?"

Mick smiled and started walking towards Ana. "You and Josef found out more than we did"

"So, you didn't find anything?" Ana said, turning to Mick, a small smile on her face

"No" Mick replied "The only thing that we did confirm was that the murder was committed by a vampire. Other than that, the police did a really good job at getting the evidence"

"So, what do we do now?" Ana asked, turning back towards the streets below "What's our next step?"

"Josef and I are going to have to try and track down Coraline" Mick replied "Beth is going to talk to the victim's parents tomorrow"

"Do you really think that Coraline is behind this?" Ana asked, turning back to Mick "I mean, I don't know the woman or anything. But, for some reason, you don't seem to believe that she did it, even when we saw the pictures"

Mick sighed. "Coraline is a lot of things but I don't think that murderer is one of them"

"So, you think it's another vampire dressed up as Coraline, with Coraline's face, who committed the murder?"

Mick laughed. "I'm going to have to look at those pictures again" he admitted "Honestly, by first glance it looked like her, but I didn't analyze the picture like I usually do"

Ana laughed. "So, Logan might be going on a wild goose chase?"

"Oh! That doesn't matter!" Mick said, with a smile "It gives him something to do besides Guitar Hero"

The two laughed. "Come on" Mick said "It's late. You have school tomorrow"

"Ugh! School!" Ana said, dramatically, as she walked past Mick "I have to go to that boring building while you, Josef, and Beth have fun! So unfair!"

Mick laughed again. "Hey, if anything important happens, I'll come and get you"

"Really?!" Ana said, surprised

Mick nodded. "Hey, you're part of the team now!" he said "We couldn't do it without you!"

"'Tis true" Ana said, smiling "However did you guys survive without me?"

"Good night, Ana" Mick said, with a smile, wondering the exact same thing. How _had_ he survived without her?

"Night, Dad" Ana said, heading into the apartment and towards her room.

&

The next day, after Mick dropped her off at school, Ana was getting her books out of her locker when her best friend, Nikki Holden, practically ran up to her.

"Oh My God, Ana!" exclaimed Nikki "Why weren't you answering your phone last night?"

"I was busy" Ana replied, simply "Why? What's wrong?"

"There's a new kid to your grade!"

"How could you have possibly have known about this last night?"

"He stopped by school, after you had left, to get his books" Nikki replied "He talked to me for a little while"

"Let me guess" Ana said, mimicking Nikki's voice "He's extremely hot!"

"You know me too well!" Nikki said, with a smile, as Ana chuckled "Ooh! Look! He's headed this way!"

Ana turned to see a boy, obviously her age, walking towards her and Nikki. He was about Ana's height. He had dark brown hair and light brown eyes. His hair was cut short and was spiked up in the front. Surprisingly, Ana agreed with Nikki. He was hot.

"Hey, Nikki" the boy said

"Eric" Nikki said, smiling "Meet my best friend, Ana St. John"

"Hey" Ana said, shaking Eric's hand

"Hey" he replied "I'm Eric Olivado"

He smiled at the two girls in front of him. "Well, just wanted to say hi" he said "I have to go and get my schedule"

"Ok" Nikki said "Bye Eric!"

"Bye Nikki" he said. Then he turned to Ana and smiled. "Bye, Ana"

"See you around" Ana replied, with a small smile.

It was only a millisecond after Eric walked away that Ana got the whiff of a vampire.

"Oh My God!" Nikki said "He totally likes you!"

"Yeah" Ana almost groaned "I think I know why"

&

"I'm so sorry for your loss" Beth said to the victim's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Branson "This must be terrible"

"It is" Mr. Branson replied, his arm around his wife, to try and comfort her "What can we do for you?"

"I just have a few questions" Beth replied "I'm working on your daughter's case"

"Please" Mrs. Branson said "Continue"

Beth took a deep breath. "Did your daughter have any enemies at all?" she asked "Anyone that would want her dead?"

"Like we told the police" Mr. Branson replied "Eileen was liked by everyone. She had no enemies"

"Did any weird occurrences start happening around the time of Eileen's death?" Beth asked "Anything out of the ordinary?"

"Well, about two months ago, Eileen started dating this guy she met at the movies" Mrs. Branson replied

"Do you know this kid's name?" Beth asked

Mr. Branson shook his head. "Eileen would never tell us" he replied "We tried to forbid her to see the guy until we knew his name, but she would sneak out at night when we were asleep"

"How did you know that she snuck out at night?" Beth asked

"The day of the murder, while Eileen was at school, I was cleaning the windows in the house" Mrs. Branson said "I noticed that the window lock we had put on her window been picked many times"

"Why would you put a lock on her window?" Beth asked "Because of Eileen's boyfriend?"

"We knew that Eileen would do anything to see this guy" Mr. Branson replied, nodding "When she wouldn't tell us the guy's name, we forbid her from seeing him. To make sure that she couldn't go and see him late at night, when we were asleep, we put a lock on her window. But, apparently, Eileen was a lock smith"

"I see" Beth said "Is there anything else you should tell me?"

"I don't think so" Mrs. Branson said "That's pretty much all we know"

"Well, thank you" Beth said "And, again, I'm sorry for your loss"

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter! I hope that you guys like it!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	5. Beachtime Blues

"Do you realize that he has been staring at you every time he sees you?" Nikki asked Ana. They were in study in the school's library, so they could talk without getting yelled at, even if they had to whisper.

Eric was sitting on the other side of the library with some of the guys in their class, but his eyes were on Ana and Nikki.

"Yes, I realize that" Ana said, stealing a quick glance at Eric "And it's kind of creeping me out"

"I think it's sweet!" Nikki said "In a creepy sort of way"

"Do you realize what you are saying?" Ana asked, with a smile "You just totally contradicted yourself!"

"Yes, I do" Nikki replied "While it is sort of…weird…it means that he really likes you! Maybe you two will get together!"

"Hold up!" Ana said "It's his first day! I've only talked to him once! Besides, I'm not interested"

"How can you not be interested?" Nikki asked, in total shock "He's got to be the hottest guy in the grade!"

"I have my reasons" Ana said, taking another quick glance at Eric, who seemed to be smiling at them. Ana knew that he could hear their conversation. Vampires did have extra-special hearing, after all!

"Sometimes, I just don't understand you, Ana St. John!" Nikki said

"And sometimes I don't understand you either!" Ana replied "At least we're on the same plane in that respect!"

The two girls broke out into laughter, receiving a cold stare from the librarian, which made them stop.

"Hey, are you busy this afternoon?" Nikki continued

"I don't know" Ana replied, not wanting to tell Nikki about the case "Why?"

"Do you want to go to the beach after school?"

"The beach?" Ana said, with some form of worry in her voice

"Yeah!" Nikki replied "The weather is amazing today!"

"Um…" Ana said, hesitating "I don't know, Nikki…"

"Come on!" Nikki whined "You never go to the beach with me! It will be fun!"

"My Dad will kill me if I went to the beach, with the major sun exposure involved" Ana replied, desperately trying to come up with a good excuse as to why she couldn't go to the beach "He's afraid I'll get...skin cancer. He's really…weird about things like that"

Deep down, Ana realized that she really couldn't go to the beach. While it was true that she could tolerate the sun better than other vampires she had met, Ana knew that, eventually, the power of the sun beating down on her would weaken her as well.

"Oh come on!" Nikki said, leaning back in her seat, clearly annoyed by Ana's poor attempt to come up with a good excuse "Are you going to be 'Daddy's Little Girl' forever?"

Hearing the words "Daddy's Little Girl" made Ana's blood boil. She wasn't sure why, but it did.

"Fine!" Ana said, with some intensity in her voice "I'll be there!"

"Great!" Nikki said, with a big smile "I'll meet you at 4:00"

Ana nodded and turned back to her history book. _Perfect_! _Just enough time to go to the mall and buy a bathing suit!_

Ana couldn't help but notice Eric shaking his head at her.

&

"So, you're telling me that Eileen could have been dating a vampire?" Mick said when Beth arrived at his office with the new information "And that he tried to turn her so that they could be together?"

Beth nodded. "Eileen's parents said that the lock on her window had been picked many times" she said "She must have really liked this guy"

"But, that doesn't explain why Coraline is standing over the body" Mick said, picking up one of the pictures. He studied it for a moment.

"Wait a minute!" Mick said, as if a light bulb just went on in his head "Do you think that Coraline could have been the sire of the boyfriend?"

Beth's eyes widened in shock. "It could be possible" she said "Then, she could consider the boy her son. She's seemed to have wanted a child really badly"

"It would make sense" Mick said "The boy runs off. Coraline gets worried and follows. The boy accidentally kills his girlfriend and runs off. Coraline stumbles upon the body and is caught on camera!"

"Now, we just have to find the boyfriend and Coraline!" Beth said, almost with a smile

"I'll have Logan try to find information on any recently turned 17-year-old male vampires in the area" Mick said, dialing Logan's number

"Hey" Beth said, looking at her watch, noticing that it was past 4:00 "Isn't Ana supposed to be home by now?"

&

Even though long sun exposure was supposed to be bad for her, Ana sort of enjoyed lying on a towel, in her new navy blue bikini, trying to tan. Nikki was on a towel next to her, also trying to tan. They had been at the beach for at least a half an hour and Ana wasn't feeling sick at all!

"You were right, Nikki" Ana said, flipping onto her back, letting the sun hit her face "This is nice"

"I just can't believe that you are seventeen years old and this is the first time you went to the beach!" Nikki replied, lifting her head up to look at her friend.

Ana smiled. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, only to suddenly not feel well at all.

"Ana?" Nikki said, when she saw the look on her friend's face. "Ana, what's wrong?"

"Need…go…now" Ana managed to say.

Nikki gulped. Ana had turned ghostly white. Her eyes had turned bright yellow. Nikki could tell that Ana was limp and weak. She was breathing really quickly.

Realizing that she had left her phone at her house earlier that afternoon, Nikki fumbled around Ana's things for her phone. When she found it, she went through Ana's contacts and called Mick.

"Mr. St. John?" Nikki said, in a shaky voice "It's Nikki Holden"

"Hi, Nikki" Mick replied "Is something wrong?"

"Uh…yeah" Nikki replied, still staring at Ana "Ana's…um…sick. Really sick"

"What do you mean?" Mick asked, his voice rising in worry

"Well, we were hanging out at the beach" Nikki explained "Ana was fine for the first half an hour. Then, all of a sudden, her body seemed to start shutting down"

"Ok" Mick said, trying to be calm "I'll be there as soon as I can. Until I get there, cover her. Shade her from the sun"

"Oh my God!" Nikki cried "She warned me about the sun! But I didn't listen to her! I taunted her! I made fun of her! This is all my fault!"

"Nikki, stay strong" Mick said, still trying to stay calm "You need to stay strong, ok?"

"Yes, Mr. St. John"

Nikki gulped again when she heard Mick hang up the phone. She turned back to Ana, who was now curled up in a ball, eyes still bright yellow. She quickly grabbed her towel and shielded Ana from the blazing sun.

"It's ok, Ana" she said "Your Dad's going to be here any minute"

Ana tried to look at Nikki as she held up the towel to shade Ana from the sun. But, instead of seeing Nikki, Ana saw Eric, under one of the shady trees in the parking lot, shaking his head at her, a small smile on his lips.

&

After calling Josef, to let him know what was going on, Mick and Beth raced to the beach.

Once there, they quickly got out of the car and ran onto the sandy beach. They found Nikki still holding the towel over Ana.

"Nikki!" exclaimed Beth

"Hi, Miss. Turner" Nikki said, through a sob "Hi, Mr. St. John"

Beth put a hand on Nikki's shoulder, to calm her down, while Mick carefully picked up his daughter's freezing cold body. He fought back tears when he saw Ana's now bright yellow eyes and the dazed expression on her face.

"We need to get her to Josef's!" Mick said "Now!"

"Josef's?!" exclaimed Nikki, not knowing who Josef was "She needs to get to a hospital!"

Mick ignored Nikki's comment, quickly thanked her for doing what she could to help Ana, and raced back to the car, with Ana in his arms.

"Nikki, you did such a great job helping Ana" Beth said, trying to calm the scared girl down "You did everything correctly!"

"But, I'm the one who got her sick!" Nikki said, crying "I'm the one who made her come! She warned me, but I didn't listen…"

"No" Beth said "No, don't think like that. This is not anyone's fault. Now, go home and get some rest. I'll call you once Ana is feeling better"

Nikki nodded, gathered her things and left the beach. Beth watched as Nikki got into her car and drove off. Then, she quickly headed to Mick's car and found him in the backseat, Ana's head lying on his lap, stroking her head without taking his eyes off of her. Beth quickly blinked away the tears in her eyes and got into the driver's seat of Mick's car.

&

"Josef!" Mick yelled, as he and Beth burst into Josef's office, 20 minutes later, with Ana in his arms "Josef!"

Josef, and a few other vampires who worked for him, raced over to Mick and led him into a room they had made for Ana if she became sick (in the special lab, since Ana was a very special vampire).

After Ana was settled with the other vampires, Josef forced Mick to wait outside.

"Mick! No!" Josef said, holding him back "Wait outside! She's going to be fine!"

"How do we know?" Mick exclaimed "She's different, remember?"

"I know that!" Josef said, trying to calm Mick down. Deep down, he, too, was really worried about his goddaughter. But, he knew that he needed to keep a cool head – for Mick's sake. "She probably just needs what every other vampire needs in this situation – blood"

Josef's eyes softened when he saw the tears in his best friend's eyes. "Now, go into the other room with Beth" he said "I'll let you know if anything happens"

Mick nodded and headed into the other room with Beth. Josef then turned and headed in to see Ana and the other vampires.

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	6. Suspicious Friendship Offer

"What was Ana doing at the beach anyway?" Beth asked, about 10 minutes after Josef went into the lab with the other vampires "Doesn't she know better?"

"I don't know" Mick said, with a big sigh "From what I gathered, Nikki really pressured her into it"

"Ana doesn't seem like one who would cave under pressure" Beth said "She seems stronger than that"

"It depends on what Nikki said" Mick replied, staring blankly into the fire burring in the fireplace "She must have said something bad"

"Not bad" a voice said "Just something that pushed me over the edge"

Mick and Beth turned to see Ana standing in the doorway, with Josef close behind her. Her eyes weren't yellow anymore. She seemed to be full of energy. She was dressed in what she had gone to school in earlier that day. She seemed to be back to her normal self.

Before Ana had a chance to say anything else, she found herself being suffocated (AKA hugged) by Mick.

"I thought that I had lost you" Mick said

"You will if you don't let me go!" Ana replied, causing Beth and Josef to smile.

Mick pulled away and looked into Ana's brown eyes. "What were you thinking?" he asked "You know that we can't do things like that"

"Honestly" Ana said "I just got tired of Nikki harassing me and making fun of me. Every time she's invited me to the beach, I've refused. This time was different. This time, I just agreed, to get her off of my back. And, I also thought that I might be able to last. I guess that I was wrong"

"Yeah, well you know better now, right?" Mick asked, with a serious expression "You know that the beach if off limits?"

Ana nodded. "What if we go at night?"

Mick, Josef, and Beth laughed. "I think that might be possible" Mick said, with a smile.

&

The next day, Nikki was practically groveling at Ana's feet, to the point where Ana was getting rather annoyed.

"Nikki!" exclaimed Ana "Quit it! I'm not blaming you for anything!"

"But…" Nikki began

"No!" Ana interrupted "It wasn't your fault. It was mine. I shouldn't have caved in. I knew better, but decided to do what I knew was wrong"

"But, a good friend would have listened to you and would not have done what I did"

"Look" Ana said, putting her hand on Nikki's shoulder "I am not blaming you. It was my fault. Can you understand that?"

Nikki nodded.

"Good" Ana said "Now, let's drop the topic and move on with life"

Just then, Eric walked up to Nikki and Ana.

"Hey, guys" he said "What's going on?"

"Nothing really" Ana replied, trying not to sound too cold, remembering how he watched her die on the beach "You?"

Eric shrugged. "Nothing" he replied "I spent most of my night working on homework"

Nikki, who had brightened up considerably when Eric walked over to them, started laughing, as if Eric had said something funny.

"Is something wrong with her?" Eric asked Ana, as Nikki continued to laugh, to the point where people were turning to stare at her

"I ask myself that many times" Ana replied

"Um…ok" Eric said, with a smile "Can I talk to you privately for a moment? Outside?"

"Sure" Ana replied. She turned to Nikki. "Nikki? Nikki!"

Nikki automatically stopped laughing. "Oh!" she said "What happened?"

"You started laughing" Ana replied "Uncontrollably"

Eric smiled a small smile when he saw Nikki's face turn bright red.

"Really?" Nikki squeaked.

Ana nodded.

"Wow" Nikki said "Well…um…would you excuse me?"

Ana and Eric nodded and tried not to laugh as they watched Nikki practically run down the hall.

"Is she always like that?" Eric asked, as he and Ana walked outside, towards the picnic tables on their high school campus

"Not always" Ana said, turning to him "You just happen to be special"

"In more ways than one apparently" he replied

"What do you mean?" Ana asked, already knowing the answer

"Oh! Come on!" Eric said "I know you know my secret. I know yours too"

"Yeah, well, why didn't you help me yesterday?" Ana asked, voice full of anger "I saw you standing in the parking lot. You seemed to be getting a kick out of seeing me begin to die!"

"What did you want me to do?" Eric asked, his voice turning into a whisper "Run over to you with a bottle of blood and expose the secret?"

"Of course not!" Ana replied "But, you knew what to do better than Nikki did! You could have at least helped her shield me from the sun or you could have gotten me ice or something until my father got there!"

"Where the hell would I have gotten ice?"

"I know that there was a snack stand with food and drinks at the beach" Ana said "You could have easily gotten some ice!"

"Yeah, but I wouldn't have been able to get enough" Eric said, trying to make excuses for himself "You know that!"

"Anything would have helped" Ana replied, coldly "You know that!"

They were silent for a moment, practically glaring at each other. "So, is this why you wanted to talk to me?" Ana asked

"I saw how you were giving me the cold shoulder yesterday" Eric replied "I just wanted us to talk about this…so there wouldn't be any more tension between us"

"So, what are you saying?" Ana asked, suddenly nervous

"I want us to be friends" Eric said "I've never met another vampire my age before"

Ana thought for a moment. "Why, if you wanted to be my friend, did you just watch me on the beach yesterday?"

Eric rolled his eyes. "Why are you still harping on that?" he asked "It done and over with. And, in case you haven't noticed, you're fine!"

"That's not the point" Ana replied, trying to keep her voice low "You don't make any sense. You are literally watching me die on the beach yesterday and you don't do anything. Then, the next day, you want to be my friend? It doesn't add up!"

Eric looked away and then looked back at Ana. He had no response.

Ana shook her head, almost in disgust. "No"

"No?!"

"Not after what happened yesterday". She got up to go back into the school. "Not yet, anyway"

Eric watched as Ana walked back into the school. He shook his head. The plan was not working. He had to get Ana to become friends with him.

He had to.

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter!! _**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	7. Prime Suspect

Mick looked up in surprise when he heard his daughter burst into their apartment. He quickly got up from his desk, in his office, and hurried into the living room/kitchen area, where he found Ana pouring herself a glass of blood in the kitchen.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, though he knew that it was a stupid question.

Ana glared at him for a moment and nodded. "Yeah" she replied "Something happened in school today"

"Would you like to tell me about it?" Mick asked, sitting on the couch

Ana paused for a moment before continuing. "You told me yesterday, when we got home, that you called Logan and had him look up information on newly turned, teenage male vampires. Have you gotten the information yet?"

Mick shook his head. "Logan said that he was having a hard time, since it's such a broad topic"

"Well, I might have someone you would want to investigate" Ana replied, staring blankly into her glass

"What are you talking about?" Mick asked "You know someone?"

Ana nodded. "There's another vampire at my school"

"Why didn't you tell me this?"

"I just found out yesterday" Ana replied "I was going to tell you but…well, you know"

"Yeah" Mick said, quickly "Well, what's the story?"

"His name is Eric Olivado" Ana replied "He's in my grade. He's a vampire, obviously. He knows that I am one too. In fact, he followed me and Nikki to the beach yesterday and watched us from the parking lot"

"And he didn't help you?"

Ana shook her head. "That's what makes this weird" she said "So, yesterday, he's watching me die on the beach. And today, out of the blue, he takes me aside and tells me that he wants to be my friend"

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him no" Ana replied "First of all, I'm not going to be friends with someone who would just sit back and watch me die. Second, to put it quite frankly, he kind of creeps me out. He stares at me all the time. Nikki thinks it's sweet, but I just think it's creepy"

"I'll have Logan look up some more specific information on him" Mick said, getting up to get his cell phone from his office.

Ana sat back on the couch as she watched Mick called Logan.

"Yeah, Logan, I need you to search a vampire named Eric Olivado" Mick said, into the phone "Yeah…Thanks"

He hung up the phone and headed back over to Ana. "He'll call us once he's found something"

Ana nodded. "So, now what?"

"I don't know" Mick sighed "You want to go to the movies tonight?"

"Movies?" Ana said, looking at Mick "Since when do you go to the movies?"

"Since Beth invited you and me to go and see a movie with her" Mick replied, with a smile

"What about the case?"

"Ana, when we have a case, we're not stuck at home" Mick said "We can do other things"

"Sweet!" exclaimed Ana "When do we leave?"

&

Eric really didn't want to do what he was about to do. It felt wrong. He felt that he was going to get caught, just because he was a kid. His uncle had, apparently, done it before and assured Eric that he wouldn't get caught.

Sometimes, Eric got tired of his family. Well, adoptive family, but the only family he's ever known. His adoptive mother was almost obsessed with him. His adoptive uncle was practically insane (at least according to Eric). He had yet to meet the rest of his relatives.

So, while no one was looking, Eric silently left his room and headed off to complete his mission.

&

"That was a good movie" Ana said, as she and Mick walked into their apartment "What did you think?"

"It wasn't bad" Mick replied "Not one of my favorites, but it wasn't bad"

"Let me guess" Ana said, with a smile, sitting on the couch "The last time you went to the movies, 'Singin' In The Rain' was actually in theaters?"

Mick let out a chuckle and smiled, sitting next to Ana. "You just get a kick out of that, don't you?"

"Hey, not too many girls my age can say that their father served in World War II and is actually 85 years old" Ana replied "Old enough to be their grandfather or even great-grandfather for that matter!"

"Think about if Josef had any kids" Mick said, walking into the kitchen "His kids could say that their father lived through the American Revolution, Civil War, and countless other major events in American History"

"You have a point" Ana said, with a sigh "Well, I have to go do my homework. I'll be in my room"

"Alright" Mick replied

"Hey, don't get too involved in anything" Ana said, when she got to the foot of the stairs "I have history homework and we are studying World War II. I might need your help"

Mick looked up and saw the smile on his daughter's face. While it is true that she could have actually been studying WWII, Mick knew that she said that to make fun of him a little bit.

&

One of the perks of being born a vampire is that you don't have to sleep in a freezer. You can sleep in a bed like any other human. Of course, though Ana loved that privilege, it made Mick, Josef, and many of the other vampires jealous.

Ana closed her bedroom door behind her and sat down on her bed. She zipped open her backpack and took out her Pre-Calculus book. She opened it to the page that her teacher assigned and was about to take out a notebook when she suddenly felt as though she was being watched or, to be more accurate, listened in on.

She slowly got off of her bed and scanned the room for anything suspicious – a habit of a girl whose father is a detective. Her eyes landed on her desk and then, more specifically, on her lamp.

Since she was a vampire, the lamp that Mick had bought Ana only gave off a dim light – not too bright, but also not too dark if she wanted to read or do homework not using her night vision. Ana noticed something funny about the lamp shade. She walked over to her desk and stuck her hand underneath the dark lamp shade. She automatically found what she had suspected was there…

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	8. Oh! The Complications!

Mick was sitting in his office, going over the evidence for the case of Eileen Branson's murder, when he heard Ana come down the stairs.

"Need help with World War II?" Mick asked, with a smile. His smile went away when Ana walked into the office and he saw the look on her face. "What's wrong?"

Ana held up the audio bug she had found underneath the lamp shade. Mick practically jumped out of his seat, went around his desk, and took the bug out of Ana's hand. He blew on it, to look for prints, but there were none. He then took it, set it on the ground, and stomped on it, breaking it instantly.

"Where did you get this?" Mick asked, now that the bug was broken, looking at Ana

"It was in my lamp" Ana replied "Someone must have put it there when we were at the movies"

Mick rolled his eyes and shook his head. He grabbed his cell phone off of his desk and dialed a number. Ana folded her arms and watched her father.

"Yeah, Josef, I need you to come over here" Mick said, once Josef answered the phone "Bring your tech guys with you…Yeah, someone bugged Ana's room, I need you to make sure that there are no other bugs in the apartment…Thanks"

&

"There were no other bugs in the apartment" Josef said, after about an hour and a half of his tech guys searching the apartment "What the hell is going on?"

Mick looked at Ana and then back at Josef. "We don't know"

"How did you even know that there was a bug in your room?" Josef asked, turning to his goddaughter

"Something was just off" Ana replied, crossing her arms, "It felt as if someone was in the room with me, watching me, listening to me"

"Do we have any suspects as to who might have planted the bug?" Josef asked, turning back to Mick.

"I don't know" Mick replied "No one has a motive to spy on Ana. She hasn't done anything" He turned to Ana for a confirmation and Ana nodded in agreement.

"Mick, do you think that maybe…?" Josef began

"Coraline doesn't work like that, Josef" Mick interrupted

"I wasn't going to say Coraline" Josef said, calmly "I was going to say Lance"

"Lance?" Mick said, surprised "Why would Lance want to spy on Ana?"

"She's of the bloodline" Josef replied, simply, looking at Ana, who was staring at the ground "Because she defied all vampire laws in the having children department, Lance might think that she has special powers"

"How would he even know about Ana?" Mick asked, taking a quick glance at his daughter

"Oh, come on, Mick!" exclaimed Josef "The whole vampire community knows about Ana! She's like a celebrity, for God's sake!"

"If this Lance wants to see me, why doesn't he just show his damn face?" Ana asked, suddenly "Why would he go to the trouble of planting a bug in my room?"

"I agree" Mick replied "Lance doesn't work like that"

"It depends on what his plan is" Josef replied. He turned to his goddaughter "Believe me, Ana. You don't want Lance to show up. He's a very powerful vampire and you could get hurt"

Ana stared up into Josef's eyes. He noticed the seriousness on her face, as did Mick. "He's never come up against me, now has he?"

&

Logan had found information on Eric Olivado somewhat easily.

He was a newly turned vampire – hadn't even been a vampire for a year yet. His parents died when he was young, like when he was 5 or 6, and he was put into an orphanage. He was adopted a few days before he became a vampire.

This, of course, perked Logan's interests. Whoever adopted Eric must have turned him. How else could you explain that?

Logan tried desperately to find the adoption record, but none of his usual hacking tricks worked.

Even though he was a little leery to call Mick without the information on who adopted Eric, Logan called him anyway.

"Logan! What do you have for me?" Mick asked when he answered the phone

"Well, I have some information" Logan replied "Eric Olivado's parents died when he was 5 or 6. He was adopted a few months ago, but I can't find who adopted him"

"Well, at least we have something" Mick said

"There's more" Logan said "A few days after he was adopted, he became a vampire"

"So, whoever adopted him must have been a vampire?" Mick replied

"Exactly" Logan said, with a smile

"Alright" Mick said "Thanks, Logan. I'll call you if I need anything else"

"No problem, Mick" Logan replied "Anytime".

&

"Hey, Ana!" exclaimed Mick, coming out of his office "That was Logan. He –"

Mick was stopped by his daughter's uncontrollable laughter. Josef and the tech guys had left an hour before, so Mick was curious as to what Ana was laughing about.

"Ana?" Mick said, as he walked into the living room and towards his daughter, who was sitting on the couch with a book in her lap "What are you laughing at?"

Still laughing, Ana held up the photo album. Mick somewhat blushed and smiled. Ana had found the photo album of him before he became a vampire.

"Do you realize how dorky you look?" she asked, through laughter "Hawaiian shirts? Slicked back hair? Goofy smile?"

"Hey!" Mick said "That was the style. Besides, the Hawaiian shirts were part of the band"

"Oh, yeah, how did I forget the band?" Ana said, as Mick sat next to her, turning back a page. There was a group photo of all of the people in the band Mick was in back in 1952.

"Let me guess" Ana continued, as Mick took the photo album off of her lap "You played really fast, really good for dancing songs?"

Mick smiled at Ana's sarcasm, as he looked through the album. "No, not really"

"Aw! And, to think I thought I had hit the nail right on the head!" Ana said, with a smile

"Hey, it's late" Mick said "You should go to bed"

"Now, are you just saying that because you don't want me to make fun of you any more or because I have school tomorrow?"

"Both" Mick replied, standing up, putting the photo album on the coffee table.

Ana smiled and stood up. "Fine!" she said "I'll go! But, you know you are going to have a dull rest of the night without me!"

Mick smiled as he watched Ana go upstairs. Once he heard her door close, Mick picked up the photo album and went to find a better hiding place for it.

&

"I heard about what happened at your place last night" Beth said, the next day. "Is everything ok?" She and Mick were taking a walk in the park, making sure to walk through all of the shady places.

"Yeah, everything's fine" Mick replied "There was no damage done. Someone just bugged Ana's room"

"Are you going to do anything?"

"There's not a whole lot that I can do" Mick replied "I mean, I could always have Ana stay with Josef"

"For how long?" Beth asked "Mick, you have to find out who planted that bug in Ana's room!"

"You don't think I know that?!" Mick replied, trying not to sound annoyed "It's easier said than done!"

He sighed as he sat down on a bench underneath some shade. Beth stared at him for a moment and then sat down next to him.

"I'm sorry" she said "I didn't mean to upset you"

"No, you didn't" Mick replied, staring at the ground "It's just…" He paused for a moment.

"The worry" Beth said, causing Mick to look up at her. He nodded.

"The bad part is" Mick said, almost with a smile "It's never going to go away"

Just then, screams could be heard throughout the park. Mick and Beth jumped up from the bench and raced over to where a crowd was gathering.

Someone had just stumbled onto another dead body…with two fang marks in its neck.

**_Here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	9. Vamping Out In Gym Class

Gym class was not one of Ana's most favorite things of the day. Mainly because she was one of the best kids in the class and her teacher wouldn't let anyone forget it.

"Alright!" Coach Parkington yelled, beginning class "Everybody! Line up!"

"Oh great!" exclaimed Nikki as the class made their way towards Coach Parkington "I wonder what he's going to make us do today!"

"Who knows?" Ana sighed

"Alright!" Coach Parkington said, again "Today, we'll be playing the wonderful sport of wrestling!"

Half the class groaned, half cheered. Coach Parkington smiled at the look on his student's faces.

"Now, I need two volunteers to come to the center mat to start off the class" he said, looking down the row of students. When no one volunteered, Coach Parkington sighed.

"Olivado! St. John!" he yelled "Center mat!"

Ana let out a groan as she walked to the center mat. She looked over at Eric, who had a huge smile on his face, as if his wildest dreams were coming true. Ana stole a glance at Nikki, who just shrugged her shoulders.

"Now, you two know what to do right?" Coach Parkington asked. Ana and Eric nodded. "Alright!" Coach Parkington continued "Begin when the whistle blows!"

He stepped back as Ana and Eric readied themselves for an attack. "I'll try not to hurt you" Eric said, with a sly smile

"Don't even bother!" Ana replied, anger in her voice "Because I'm not going to go easy on you!"

Coach Parkington blew his whistle and Ana and Eric lunged for each other. The class was cheering.

Ana pinned Eric to the ground. Before Coach Parkington was able to hit the mat, Eric threw Ana off of him. She flew across the mat and landed on her back. When she looked up at Eric, she noticed that he had gone into Vampire Mode.

"Don't do this" Ana whispered, soft enough for no human to hear, but loud enough for Eric to hear "We can't take any chances on the secret being revealed!"

"What? Are you scared that I'll beat you?" Eric replied, so only Ana could hear

Ana, who was now angry, went into Vampire Mode and slowly stood up, but not before Nikki noticed the change in Ana's face and behavior. "Bring it on!"

Eric and Ana lunged for each other again. This time, Eric pinned Ana down. Just as he was about to bite her neck, Ana kicked him off of her. He flew across the gym and slammed up against the wall.

"Hey!" exclaimed Coach Parkington, as the class cheered even more "Easy!"

Ignoring Coach Parkington, Eric started heading for Ana again. Before Coach Parkington got a chance to stop the two teenagers, Eric kicked Ana in the leg, causing her to lose her balance, and threw her to the opposite wall.

"Alright! Enough!" exclaimed Coach Parkington, as Ana and Eric stared at each other and went out of Vampire Mode, before Coach Parkington and the rest of the class got a good look at them "Principal's office! Now!"

&

Ben was not too happy when he got to the scene and found Mick examining the scene and the body.

"Step away from the body, St. John!" exclaimed Ben, as a couple of police officers started blocking off the area with crime scene tape "I don't need you contaminating evidence!"

Mick slowly stood up from his kneeling position next to the body of a young man, about 22 years old. He had blond hair and green eyes. His mouth was hanging open. There was blood stained on his neck and the corner of his mouth.

"What were you two doing here anyway?" Ben asked, looking from Mick to Beth

"We had come to the park just to relax and take a break from the Eileen Branson case" Beth replied "We didn't come here thinking we'd stumble onto another body"

"This is just like the Eileen Branson case" Mick said, as Ben turned to him "There are two puncture wounds in the neck"

"Yeah, well, thank you for your input, St. John" Ben said "But, we can take it from here"

Mick rolled his eyes and shook his head as Ben walked past him to look at the body.

"Unbelievable!" Mick said, as he and Beth started to walk away from the scene, to let the police do their job

"I'll get as much information as I can once we get the coroner's report and name of the victim" Beth said. She loved working for the DA. She had access to all kinds of information.

"Thanks" Mick replied

Just then, Mick's cell phone rang. He answered it and Beth became concerned when she saw a look of anger, mixed with confusion, spread across Mick's face.

"I'll be there in 15 minutes" Mick said, into the phone. He hung up and turned to Beth.

"Is something wrong?" Beth asked

"Yeah" Mick said "Ana got into a fight at school!"

"What?" Beth said "What are you talking about?"

"Apparently, Ana and this boy got into a fight during gym class" Mick said, as he and Beth headed to his car "They're in the Principal's office right now!"

"You don't think…"

"She better not have!" Mick said, getting into his car and turning the car on "If she vamped out, she's going to be in trouble!"

Mick sped out of the parking lot. Beth sighed and headed back to the crime scene.

**_Here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	10. Telling Nikki

Ana and Eric were sitting in chairs outside of Principal McLennan's office, still in their gym clothes, for the whole school to see. Nikki had stopped by after gym class had ended to give Ana her backpack and gym bag, but didn't say anything.

"Mr. Olivado, Miss. St. John" Principal McLennan said, coming out of her office "I just called your parents"

Both Eric and Ana rolled their eyes and groaned. Principal McLennan tried not to smile.

"Miss. St. John, your father should be here shortly" she said, looking at Ana. She looked at Eric. "Mr. Olivado, your mother was not able to be here until after school so, when the bell rings to go home, you will remain here"

Eric rolled his eyes and shook his head. Just then, the school's doors opened. Eric, Ana, and Principal McLennan looked up to see a very angry Mick St. John walking towards them.

Mick's eyes automatically fell onto his daughter. He gave her a stone cold stare, which made her look at her feet, before looking at Principal McLennan.

"Hi" he said "I'm Mick St. John"

"Ah! Mr. St. John!" Principal McLennan said, with a big smile "It's nice to meet you!"

"I just wish it was under better circumstances" Mick said, with a smile, shaking Principal McLennan's hand.

"Well, Mr. St. John, Ana" Principal McLennan said "Will you come into my office please?"

Mick nodded as Ana stood up, crossing her arms.

"Don't you even think about going anywhere, Mr. Olivado" Principal McLennan said, before going into her office

Eric just stared at the floor. Principal McLennan then led Ana and Mick into her office and closed the door.

&

"Ana, would you mind telling your father exactly what you told me about what happened in gym class today?" Principal McLennan asked, once she, Mick, and Ana were situated in their seats.

Mick looked at Ana as she breathed in deeply. He could tell that she wasn't going to tell him everything – that she couldn't tell him everything without jeopardizing the secret.

"Today in gym, Coach Parkington chose me and Eric to wrestle together" Ana began, looking at her hands "At first, Eric and I just wrestled so we wouldn't hurt each other" She paused.

"But, at one point, I pinned him to the mat" Ana continued "Before Coach Parkington had a chance to hit the mat and call him out, Eric kicked me across the mat. I landed on my back. When I looked up…" She glanced out of the corner of her eye to Mick. "…he was coming at me. I could tell that this wasn't just fun and games anymore. He was mad. I had to fight back"

Mick's eyes widened, knowing exactly what Ana meant. _So, Eric vamped out first?_ He thought _That changes things a little_

"As you can see, Mr. St. John" Principal McLennan said, bringing Mick out of his thoughts "Ana only did what she could to protect herself"

"What are you saying?" Mick asked

"We are not going to hold this against Ana" Principal McLennan replied "The reason I called you down here is so that you would be aware of the situation. I know that sometimes kids…forget…to tell their parents things that they don't want them to know about"

Mick smiled a little and let out a chuckle. "Well, thank you, Principal McLennan"

Just then, the last period bell rang.

"Well, I better let you get out of here before the kids swarm the halls" Principal McLennan said "It was nice meeting you, Mr. St. John"

"Nice to meet you too" Mick replied, shaking her hand.

&

"I'll meet you at the car" Mick said, as he and Ana walked out of the office. Eric got up from his seat and headed into Principal McLennan's office, closing the door behind him. Ana nodded. Mick put his arm around her.

"Hey, don't be mad" Mick said

"You're not mad at me?" Ana asked, surprised

"Let's not go that far" Mick said "But, I'm not as mad as I would have been if you were at fault here"

Mick smiled and turned to exit the school and go to his car. Ana sighed and headed towards her locker.

&

"Ana!" exclaimed Nikki, when she saw Ana heading toward her locker, after the last period bell "Ana, wait up!"

Ana turned around to see Nikki running towards her. "Hey, Nikki" she said, with a sigh "What's up?"

"What the hell happened in gym?" Nikki asked

"Um…Eric and I took the wrestling too far" Ana said, not sure how to respond "You saw us"

"Yeah, I did!" Nikki said "What happened to your face?"

"My face?" Ana said, fear taking over her body

"Yeah!" Nikki replied "Your eyes went…. You had dark circles under your eyes. The brown around your eyes went white. What the hell is going on?"

Ana sighed and looked her best friend right in the eyes. She quickly looked around to make sure that no one else was in the hall and then breathed in deeply.

"Nikki, you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you" Ana said "It is vital that you don't tell anyone. I probably shouldn't even tell you, but I trust you well enough to know that you will keep this secret for me"

Nikki nodded. "Of course, Ana" she said "I won't tell anyone"

Ana took in another deep breath. "I'm a vampire"

Ana watched as the corners of Nikki's mouth curled in a smile. Ana expected this kind of reaction from Nikki. No one would take it seriously if you told them that you were a vampire.

"No, seriously" Nikki said, trying not to laugh "What's going on?"

"I'm serious" Ana replied, keeping her voice very calm.

Nikki knew by the look on Ana's face that she was serious. "You can't be a vampire!" she said, whispering "They don't exist"

Ana sighed. "Do I really have to show you?"

Nikki gulped. "Yeah" she said, in a shaky voice "Prove to me that you are a vampire"

Ana rolled her eyes and went into Vampire Mode, being sure not to growl at her best friend. Nikki stepped back in fright when she saw Ana's eyes, and the fact that two of her teeth were now fangs.

"Oh My God!" exclaimed Nikki, taking a step closer to get a better look "You really are a vampire!"

Ana nodded and went out of Vampire Mode.

"It explains so much" Nikki said, in shock "It explains why you don't eat lunch, why you always want to sit in the shade, and what happened at the beach!"

"Yep" Ana said, as she and Nikki headed towards the exit

"What about your Dad?"

"Yeah" Ana said "He's a vampire too"

"So, what does this mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything" Ana replied "I drink blood and I live forever. When I get hurt, I heal within seconds. I am very strong. That's it"

"That's it?" Nikki said "You act like it's nothing!"

"To me, it is nothing" Ana said "I hope this doesn't change anything between us"

Nikki stared at her friend for a moment. "No" she said "Don't worry. It doesn't"

Ana smiled. "So" she said "Now that you know my secret, do you want to come to my house for a little while?"

Nikki smiled and nodded. "I've been waiting for this since the day you described your house to me!" she said "Let's go!"

&

"Do you know where your mother is, Mr. Olivado?" Principal McLennan asked, with a sigh, looking at her watch

"How am I supposed to know?" Eric asked, with an annoyed tone "I'm not psychic!"

"Watch it, Mr. Olivado!" Principal McLennan said, angrily "You are already in trouble! Let's not make it worse!"

"You know something?" Eric said, leaning forward in his chair "I really don't see how this is all my fault!"

"You attacked Ana St. John in gym class!" Principal McLennan replied, trying to stay calm

"But, she attacked back!"

"What was she supposed to do?" Principal McLennan asked "Lay there and let you beat her up?!"

Eric sat back in his chair, rolled his eyes, and shook his head. Oh! How he wished he could tell Principal McLennan Ana St. John's secret!

Principal McLennan looked at her watch again and sighed. "If she doesn't show up in 10 minutes, I'll let you go" she paused for a moment "But, you will have to bring me a paper, signed by your mother, telling me that you told her about the fight and how you have detention all next week"

Eric nodded, not looking at Principal McLennan. Deep down, he knew that his mother probably wasn't coming. She hadn't interacted with mortals since a few months before, when she knew that she had lost the love of her life forever.

His uncle had told him many times that his mother only adopted him to fill the hole in her heart. Eric didn't believe him. Eric never really believed his uncle. He only helped his uncle because his uncle threatened to kill him or his mother if he didn't.

Deep down, he hated his uncle and the business his uncle was in. Deep down, he really wanted to be friends with Ana St. John. He didn't mean to vamp out in gym class and attack her. His vampire instincts just got the better of him. After what she had said to him, he wanted a little revenge. He just didn't mean to take it that far.

Deep down, he wished that he hadn't of made the mistake of watching her die on the beach. Truth be told, when she saw Ana dying, he froze. Tensed up. It was like his brain had stopped working. The love of his life was withering away before him and he was powerless to stop it…all because he was too scared to help her.

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	11. Suspicious Apology

Ana and Nikki were laughing as they walked up to Mick and his car.

"What's going on?" Mick asked, with a smile

"Nikki's coming over" Ana said "Is that ok?"

Mick looked from Nikki to Ana, not saying anything.

"She knows, Dad" Ana said "I told her"

"Oh!" Mick said, relieved "Well, then. Sure. She can come over"

"Are you going to bring your car?" Ana asked, turning back to Nikki

"Yeah" Nikki replied "I'll follow you guys"

"Sounds like a plan" Mick said, getting into the driver's seat of the car

Nikki smiled and ran off to her car. Ana got into the seat next to her father.

"So, you know that guy I fought with?" Ana said "That's Eric"

"Yeah" Mick said, with a laugh "I figured that much out"

Mick turned to look at his daughter. "There's been another murder"

"Are you serious?" Ana asked, as Nikki pulled up behind them, and Mick started the engine "Where?"

"At the park" Mick said, with a sigh, pulling out of his parking space and towards the exit "It was a man in his early twenties"

"Let me guess" Ana said, as they pulled away from the school "Fang marks in the neck?"

Mick nodded. "Afraid so"

"Do you think that Eric could be behind it?" Ana asked

Mick shrugged. "I'm not sure" he said "Beth is going to get a copy of the coroner's report for us"

"Is she at the crime scene?" Ana asked, making sure Nikki was still behind them

"Yeah"

"If you need to go back to see Beth, that's fine" Ana said "You don't have to stay with me and Nikki at the apartment"

"What made you tell her about us?" Mick asked, stopping at a stoplight

"She saw me change in gym" Ana confessed "She was the only person in my class who noticed the change"

Mick sighed as the light changed green. "Well, I'm glad that she knows"

"You are?" Ana said, surprised

"Yeah" Mick said "Now, you have someone you can talk to about it besides another vampire"

Ana chuckled. "Yeah" she said "I guess that's true"

&

"Oh My God!" exclaimed Nikki, when she walked into the St. John apartment "Ana! You _live_ here?!"

Both Ana and Mick laughed. "Yeah, Nikki" Ana said "We live here"

"Damn, girl!" Nikki said, mouth refusing to close "This place rocks!"

Ana looked around her home. Of course, she wouldn't say anything, but her house was pretty cool.

"Come on" Ana said, grabbing Nikki's arm "You have to see my room!"

Mick watched as Ana dragged Nikki up the stairs. He smiled and then called Beth to see what was going on with the case.

&

"Ana! You're room is so cool!" Nikki said, as she stepped into Ana's bedroom "You're so lucky!"

Ana smiled and looked around her room. Her walls were painted in a light, lilac purple color. Her bed was right next to the wall, but away from the window. The quilt and pillows on her bed were a dark purple color, while her bed frame was white.

Her desk was right next to her bed. It, too, was white, but the chair was black. Her desk lamp was made of metal, but it had a black shade around the bulb. Her floor matched the one downstairs and throughout the rest of the house.

"I'm glad that you like it" Ana said, sitting down on her bed

"Like it?" Nikki said "I love it! I wish I could live here!"

Ana laughed. "You'll have to sleepover sometime"

Nikki nodded as she sat at Ana's desk and swiveled around in her chair. "Is it hard being a vampire?"

"Not really" Ana said, sitting back on her bed "I mean, it's nothing like you see in the movies"

"Really?"

"Yeah" Ana said "Like, for instance, garlic. It doesn't repel us or make us scared. Sure, it smells nasty, but it won't make us go away"

Nikki laughed.

"Oh!" Ana said, laughing "This is the best one. Holy Water and Crucifixes. Yeah, those do _nothing_. I swear, whenever I watch an old "Dracula" movie, I laugh so hard!"

Nikki was still laughing when Mick came into the room.

"I hope I'm not intruding" he said, with a smile

"No" Ana said "I was just telling her about Holy Water and Crucifixes"

Mick chuckled. "Listen, I'm going to meet Beth at her house" he said "She has some new information about the case"

"Ok" Ana said "We'll be here"

Mick nodded and left the room.

"Listen, Ana" Nikki said, once she heard Mick leave the apartment "Thanks for telling me your secret"

"Hey, as long as you don't go telling the whole world, it's no problem" Ana said "I'm glad that someone else knows. I'm glad that I can talk to someone else about it besides my vampire friends"

Nikki smiled. Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Come on" Ana said, getting off of her bed "Let's go see who that is"

&

Both Ana and Nikki were shocked when they saw who was standing outside the door.

Eric.

Ana slowly opened the door. "Can I help you?"

"Listen, I want to talk" he said "Can I come in?"

"I guess" Ana said "As long as you aren't planning on attacking me again"

Eric walked into the apartment and waved to Nikki when he saw her. She waved back, but didn't smile. After she saw him in gym class, she wanted nothing to do with him.

Ana shut the door and turned to Eric and Nikki. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I wanted to apologize about what happened in gym class" Eric said "I was way out of line"

"You think?" Nikki said, sarcastically

Eric sighed. "Does she know about…?"

"Yeah" Ana said, quickly "She does"

A confused look spread over Nikki's face.

"He's a vampire, too" Ana said.

Nikki nodded and continued to stare at Eric.

"Now, did Principal McLennan send you over here to do this, or did your mother?" Ana asked, crossing her arms

"No, I came on my own" Eric said, taking a step towards Ana "On my own free will"

Ana relaxed a little. "Oh, well, thank you" she said "I appreciate it"

Eric nodded. "Well, I better be going" he said "My Mom is waiting for me at home"

Ana nodded. "Thanks for coming by"

Eric nodded and waved as he walked out of the apartment. Ana closed the door and turned to Nikki.

"What the hell was that about?"

"Oh My God!" Nikki said "He _so_ likes you!"

"I thought we had already gone over this?" Ana asked, as she and Nikki headed back upstairs

"Come on, Ana" Nikki said "Don't you see what's right in front of you?"

"I can see perfectly fine" Ana said "It's a matter of whether or not I want it"

Ana stopped in her tracks, just before her room.

"What's wrong?" Nikki asked

Ana looked up at her friend, a confused expression on her face.

"How did he know where I lived?"

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	12. A Somewhat Startling Visit & Revelation

Beth was looking over the coroner's report herself when Mick knocked on her door. She sighed as she went to answer the door. Not because Mick was there, but because she didn't really want to work on two cases at once and she was tired.

"Hey" she said, with a smile, as she opened the door "Come in"

Mick smiled as he walked into his girlfriend's apartment. "So, what's going on?" he asked

"First, what happened with Ana?" Beth asked, concerned "Did she vamp out?"

"Yeah" Mick said, almost with a groan "But, only because the kid she was fighting with vamped out first"

"You mean…"

"Yeah" Mick said "Eric Olivado was the one who attacked Ana"

"So, what happened?"

"Apparently, both of them were picked to wrestle in gym class" Mick said "At one point, Ana had him pinned to the ground. He kicked her off of him and when she looked up he had vamped out and was coming for her"

"So, she only vamped out because she had no choice"

Mick nodded. "The principal just wanted to be sure that I found out about it" he added "Ana's not in trouble or anything"

"Well, that's a plus"

"Now" Mick said, sitting on the couch "What's going on with this second body?"

"It is almost a carbon copy of the Eileen Branson report" Beth said, sitting down next to him, picking the report off of the coffee table "His name was Alan Robins. The only differences in the two cases are that one was a man, one was a girl. One was a teenager and one was in their early twenties"

"Were there any security photos?" Mick asked, as he scanned the report

"Unfortunately, no" Beth said. She paused for a moment. "Do you think that Coraline could be behind this murder?"

Mick was silent for a moment. Then, he took a deep breath and spoke. "I don't know" he said. He was silent again. "You know?" he said, with a chuckle "I thought we had something going when we figured out that Eileen's boyfriend accidentally killed her and that the boyfriend was Coraline's adopted son. But, apparently not. Apparently, he just likes to kill people!"

"You never know" Beth said "It could be different people"

"Oh! Come on!" Mick said "These cases are too similar to be different people!"

"Why would a 17-year-old boy want to kill a twenty-something year old man?" Beth asked "It makes no sense!"

Mick sighed. "I don't know". He turned to look at Beth. "But, I'm going to find out!"

&

"Maybe he just looked up your address in the phone book or something" Nikki said, watching Ana pace back and forth across her bedroom floor.

"But, if that's what he did, why would he go through all that trouble, just to come over and say 'Sorry'?" Ana replied, continuing to pace "He just doesn't seem like the type of person who would do something like that"

"Well, if you think about it, we don't really know him" Nikki said "I mean we've only talked to him a few times, and the few times we did, I acted like a fool and you were fighting with him"

"I suppose you have a point" Ana said, sitting down in her desk chair "But, I'm still suspicious"

"Why are you suspicious?" Nikki asked "Ana, I think that you are taking this a bit out of proportion!"

Ana was about to say something when there was a knock on the door.

"Come on" she said, getting up from her desk chair "Let's go see who's at the door"

Nikki sighed as she got up and followed Ana out of her room. When they got to the door, Ana looked into the monitor and gasped.

"What?" Nikki asked "What is it? What's wrong?"

"The woman behind the door" Ana said, turning to her friend "It's my father's ex-wife, Coraline!"

&

Ana slowly opened the door.

"Um…hello" she said, trying not to sound too shocked…or scared

"Hello" Coraline smiled "Is Mick St. John here?"

"No" Ana said "He's not"

"Oh" Coraline said, face falling "Well, I'll come back later"

"No! Coraline! Wait!" Ana said, stopping Coraline from walking away

Coraline slowly turned towards Ana. "How do you know who I am?"

"I'm Mick's daughter, Ana" she replied "I know all about you"

Coraline's eyes widened when Ana told her who she was. _So, this is the infamous Ana St. John _

"Please, come in" Ana said, stepping away so Coraline could enter the apartment. Coraline nodded and smiled a small smile as she stepped into her ex-husband's apartment. She smiled at Nikki, who smiled a small smile and waved.

"My Dad has been looking for you" Ana said, as she, Nikki, and Coraline sat down in the living room

"I had a feeling he might have been" Coraline replied, somewhat uncomfortable talking to her ex-husband's daughter "That's one of the reasons why I came to see him"

"What's the other reason?" Nikki asked

Coraline looked at Nikki cautiously, not sure whether or not to continue.

"She knows about us" Ana said "Don't worry"

A wave of relief flowed over Coraline's body, though she didn't show it.

"It's about my son" Coraline said "Well, my _adopted_ son. I'm afraid that he might be in some danger"

"What kind of danger?" Ana asked

"Major danger" Coraline replied "I'm afraid that he's going to get himself killed"

"What's your son's name?" Ana asked

"Eric" Coraline replied "Eric Olivado"

Ana and Nikki looked at each other and then back at Coraline, in total shock.

* * *

**_Well, congratulations to anyone who saw that coming!! LOL!!_**

**_By the way, if you guys don't mind, please check out my profile. I have a poll going about something I want to do with this story. If you guys could just let me know what you think, either in poll form or in review form, that would be great!!_**

**_Anyways, here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	13. Tensions Rise Between Vampires

Mick and Beth looked up from their work when Mick's cell phone rang.

"Hey, Ana" he said, answering the phone "What's up?"

"You need to come home" Ana replied "Now!"

"Why?" Mick asked, suddenly worried "What's wrong?"

"Your ex-wife is sitting in our living room"

"What?!" exclaimed Mick, causing Beth to look at him with a confused expression on her face "She's there? At the apartment?"

"Yeah" Ana replied "She supposedly needs your help"

"I'll be home soon" Mick said "Whatever you do, keep her there!"

"I will" Ana replied

Mick hung up the phone and looked at Beth.

"Coraline's at the apartment!" he said, almost angrily

"What?!" exclaimed Beth, as Mick got up to grab his coat "She's at the apartment? Seriously?"

"Apparently, she needs my help" Mick replied, in an annoyed tone "I wonder what it is this time!"

"Can I come?" Beth asked, eagerly

Mick smiled. "Sure" he said "If you really want to"

Beth smiled and grabbed her coat. Then, the two headed out of the apartment and to Mick's car.

&

There was a knock on the door. Nikki got up to answer it, while Ana poured Coraline a glass of blood. She looked into the monitor, but didn't recognize who was at the door.

"Ana! There's someone at the door!" Nikki yelled "I don't know who it is!"

"It's Josef!" he yelled, from the other side of the door "Josef Kostan!"

Nikki continued to look at Ana, who was in the kitchen. Ana smiled.

"It's my godfather, Nikki" she said "Let him in!"

Nikki shrugged her shoulders and opened the door.

"Hi!" Josef said, walking into the apartment "I'm Josef Kostan. You are…?"

"Nikki" she replied "Nikki Holden. Ana's best friend"

"Nice to meet you, Nikki" Josef said, with a smile, shaking her hand "Where's Ana?"

"Josef!" exclaimed a familiar voice "What a surprise!"

Josef looked up to see Coraline standing a few feet in front of him. Nikki turned around and looked from Coraline to Josef and back again.

_Apparently, they know each other _Nikki thought.

"Coraline!" Josef said, in shock "What are you doing here? We've been looking all over for you!"

"I need Mick's help" Coraline replied, as Ana walked up to the group, handing Coraline her drink "Is it such a sin to ask your ex-husband for help?"

"Maybe" Josef said, coldly, anger in his eyes

"Ok!" exclaimed Ana, stepping in between her godfather and her father's ex-wife "Why don't we move to the living room? Dad said that he'll be here soon"

Coraline turned on her heel and headed back into the living room. Ana and Nikki couldn't help but notice a change in Coraline's behavior. She seemed…different than she was earlier when she arrived.

Josef rolled his eyes and hung his coat up on the coat rack by the door. "How long has she been here?"

"Only about a half an hour" Nikki replied "Isn't this a good thing though?"

A confused look spread over Josef's face. "You know about the case?"

Nikki nodded. "Ana told me after this Coraline got here"

Josef turned to Ana. Ana shrugged.

"Hey, it was really kind of hard to explain things without telling her the whole story!"

"I also know about you guys" Nikki said, bringing her voice down to a whisper for a reason she wasn't sure of "I know that you guys are vampires!"

Josef let out a chuckle. He turned to Nikki.

"Well, then, Nikki" he said, with a smile "Welcome to the group!"

Reluctantly, Josef went into the living room. Nikki smiled and turned to Ana.

"I'm part of the group?!" she said, excitedly "This is so cool! What does that mean?"

"It means that you can get involved in all kinds of Vampire drama" Ana said, with a sly smile "Exciting, isn't it?"

Without waiting for a response, Ana headed into the living room. Nikki smiled and then followed. This was going to be sweet!

&

Beth had a hard time keeping up with Mick when they reached the floor of the skyscraper that Mick and Ana's apartment was on. She was moving as quickly as she could to keep up with him.

"Ana!" Mick yelled, as he and Beth walked into his apartment "Ana!"

Ana appeared from around the corner. "Hey, Dad"

"Where is she?" Mick asked, taking a few steps towards his daughter

"Wow, Mick" he heard a familiar voice say "I haven't heard you talk like that about me for a long time"

Mick and Beth looked up, and Ana turned, when Coraline appeared from around the corner, with Josef and Nikki standing in the living room.

"Coraline" Mick said, almost glaring at his ex-wife "I'm glad we were finally able to find you"

"Oh, you didn't find me!" Coraline said, almost coldly "Don't forget, I came to you! For your help!"

Her eyes landed on Beth. She smiled a small smile at Beth and then turned back to Mick.

"Why don't we all sit in the living room?" Josef said, walking up to the group "It might make this situation a little easier if we all stayed calm" The group made their way to the living room. Nikki walked up to Ana.

"What the hell has gotten into her?" Nikki asked, referring to Coraline "She's gotten mean! She wasn't like that earlier!"

Ana sighed. "I don't know" she said, not taking her eyes off of Coraline "Something's going on"

"Do you think she's behind the murders?" Nikki asked

"No. I don't" Ana said, turning to her friend "But, I don't think she and my father left each other on good terms"

* * *

**_Thank you to the people who participated in the poll. I will leave the poll open until I get to the part in the story where Sarah would come in. So, please, if you haven't yet, let me know what you think about Sarah!!_**

**_Anyways, here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	14. Things Just Got a Bit More Interesting

"Why don't you just start at the beginning?" Mick said, taking in a deep breath. He really didn't want to know why Coraline needed his help. He just wanted her to explain why she was caught on camera standing over the body of a dead girl.

Ana and Nikki sat down on the couch with Beth. Mick was sitting in a chair across from Coraline and Josef was standing against the wall.

"My son is seventeen years old" Coraline began "I turned him a few days after I adopted him"

She paused for a moment. "I think that he's involved with the Vampire Mafia"

"There's a Vampire Mafia?!" exclaimed Ana, not knowing this before. Ana, being a major fan of the famous "Godfather" Trilogy, found this revelation very exciting. She turned to Nikki, who looked shocked but excited at the same time.

"Yes" Josef said "There's a Vampire Mafia. But, I thought that it was gone. I thought that they stopped operating?"

Coraline shook her head. "They haven't stopped" she said "I don't know what they're doing, but they haven't stopped operating"

"How dangerous are they?" Mick asked. This was the first time he had even heard about a Vampire Mafia…and he had been a vampire for a long time.

"It depends on who the leader is and what business they are operating in" Josef said. He turned to Coraline "Who is the leader?"

"I don't know" Coraline replied "I'm not even sure that what Eric's gotten himself into. It's just a suspicion"

"Wait!" exclaimed Mick "Your son's name is Eric?"

Coraline nodded. Mick looked at Ana and Nikki.

"Same guy" Ana said

"What are you talking about?" Coraline asked

"Eric goes to school with Ana and Nikki" Beth replied, not even sure why she was talking to Coraline "He attacked Ana today in gym and is murder suspect"

"Murder suspect?" Coraline said, in shock, totally ignoring the part about Ana and gym class "What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on!" exclaimed Mick "Don't tell me you don't know! You were standing over the body of the first victim!"

"We have pictures to prove it!" Beth said

Coraline was silent for a moment. The rest of the group just stared at her, waiting for her to respond.

"Eric did not kill anyone!" Coraline said "The night that girl was murdered he was with me!"

"Do you have any witnesses that would confirm your and Eric's alibi's?" Mick asked

Coraline shook her head. "No"

"You still haven't answered the question as to why you were caught standing over the body" Josef said, angrily "Tell us the truth, Coraline!"

Coraline looked up at Josef. Ana and Nikki were the only ones who noticed the tears in her eyes.

"Eric and I were at home that night" Coraline said "We watched a movie. After the movie was over, I asked Eric if he wanted to go on a walk with me. He said that he couldn't because he had to get ready for school the next day. So, I left him at home and headed to the park"

She paused for a moment to wipe the tears out of her eyes. Beth's eyes softened. As much as she hated Coraline, she couldn't help but feel bad for her.

"When I got to the park, I was walking down the path when I caught the whiff of a vampire" Coraline continued "I rushed over to where the scent was coming from. When I got there, Eric's girlfriend was lying on the ground. She was dead"

"You knew her?" Ana said, surprised

"Eric had brought her home before" Coraline said "She was a very nice girl. Why do you ask?"

"Because the girl's parents said that she wouldn't tell them anything about her boyfriend" Mick replied "She refused to even tell them his name"

"I don't know why" Coraline said "Maybe she was nervous because of what we are"

"Why do you think that Eric is part of this Vampire Mafia?" Nikki asked. She liked being part of the "group". So far, it was very fun.

"I don't know" Coraline said, putting her head in her hands "He's been very mysterious and hasn't talked much. Like he's hiding something"

"Ok, none of those things would constitute a suspicion for being a part of the Mafia" Mick said "There must be something else"

Coraline stared into Mick's eyes. Mick could tell that she was hiding something.

"When he came home one night, he went straight to bed" Coraline said "I went into his room when I smelled blood. I picked up some of his clothes…"

She paused again. Josef was getting annoyed. He, sometimes, hated it when people made things so dramatic.

"It was his blood" Coraline said, trying not to break down into tears "His blood was all over his shirt and pants"

Mick and Beth's eyes widened. Neither of them were expecting that. Ana and Nikki gasped. Nikki put her hand over her mouth, while Ana crossed her arms, feeling sorry for treating Eric so harshly. Josef's eyes softened as he looked at Coraline.

"Is there any way you could keep him at home?" Beth asked, feeling truly sorry for Coraline, even after what Coraline had put her through

Coraline shook her head. "Even if I tried, he would still sneak out" she said "I can't follow him everywhere"

Coraline looked back at Mick. "Will you help me?"

Mick stared at Coraline for a moment. "Yes" he said "We'll help you"

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	15. A Date For The Dance

"So, does this pretty much kick Eric off of the suspect list?" Nikki asked.

Coraline had left, but not before giving Mick her address and cell phone number. Josef, Beth, Ana, Nikki, and Mick were now sitting in the living room, discussing what to do next.

"I'm not sure" Beth replied "Eric is the only suspect we have"

"Does Talbot have any other suspects?" Mick asked, looking at Beth

Beth shook her head. "No" she said "In all honesty, he doesn't even know that I know who Eileen's boyfriend was. He's still trying to find out who the boyfriend was"

"Couldn't you get in trouble for that?" Josef asked, with a smile

Beth chuckled. "I just don't think that he did it" she said "I want to see more evidence against him before I approach Ben with the information"

"So, what do we do now?" Ana asked "Keep an eye on him?"

"That's probably the best thing" Mick replied "You and Nikki can do it during school"

Nikki smiled. "This is just like in the movies!"

The group laughed at Nikki's enthusiasm.

"Is there anything coming up in school that would give us perfect access to keep an eyes on him?" Beth asked, looking at Ana and Nikki

"Um…" Ana said, thinking "I think that there's a dance coming up next week…"

"You guys could sign up as chaperones!" exclaimed Nikki, as if a light bulb just went off in her head

Josef, Beth, and Mick looked at each other. "That's actually not a bad idea" Mick said "It would give us perfect access to watch him and his behavior"

"But, it's at a dance" Josef said "Would we really find what we're looking for at a high school dance?"

"We don't know" Mick said "But, it's the best thing we have right now"

Mick turned back to Ana and Nikki. "Are there any other events going on?"

"The school's pep rally is the Friday before the dance" Ana replied "I think that Eric's on the baseball team"

"How can he stand the sun?" Josef asked, shocked

Ana smiled a sly smile. "All of the games are at night"

The three vampires laughed, while Beth and Nikki just smiled.

"The baseball team is supposed to be playing a game against the softball team that Friday at 8" Nikki said "And, guess who just joined the softball team?"

Josef, Mick, and Beth's eyes landed on Ana, who was just smiling.

"_You're_ on the softball team?" Mick asked "Since when do you play softball?"

"I've been playing softball since I was in 7th grade" Ana replied "I was on the varsity team at my old school"

"What made you decide to join the team?" Beth asked

"I thought it would be fun" Ana replied, with a shrug "And, when I found out that all of the games are at night, I couldn't refuse!"

The group laughed.

"Good!" exclaimed Mick "Ana, during the game keep an eye on him. The rest of us, from the stands, will also look for anything suspicious"

"This is so exciting!" exclaimed Nikki, smiling

"Believe me, Nikki" Beth said "It only gets better!"

&

"With St. John on the case, our whole plan will be ruined!" exclaimed a vampire named Russo "We'll be found out and massacred by the boss!"

"Oh! Please, stop the dramatics!" exclaimed another vampire, named Gianni "St. John will never find us. I'll make sure of that!"

"What if he does?" Russo asked "The boss will have our heads!"

"Would you calm down?!" exclaimed Gianni "Everything's going to be fine!"

"I just hope that Eric is going to come through with his part of the plan" Russo said, sitting in a chair "The boss will be furious if Eric doesn't get Ana St. John…"

"Damn it, Russo!" exclaimed Gianni "Would you shut up?! I'm telling you, everything will be fine"

"I agree" Russo said, calmly "Once we have Ana St. John, everything _will_ be fine"

&

Ana and Nikki had been told to keep an eye out for anything suspicious in Eric's behavior when they went to school the next day. Of course, Nikki couldn't take her eyes off of him. Now, she had a serious reason to look at him, as opposed to stealing quick little glances once in a while when she thought he wasn't looking.

"Nikki, do you realize how creepy you look right now?" Ana asked, as she walked up to the table in the cafeteria where she and Nikki said "You've been staring at him all day!"

"We were told to watch Eric" Nikki said, turning to Ana "So, I'm watching Eric"

"I don't think that that order was meant to be taken that literally" Ana said, sitting down "You look like a freakin' stalker!"

Nikki sighed and turned to her plate of hot dogs and tater tots in front of her. Ana chuckled when she saw the look on Nikki's face.

"I didn't mean to spoil your day" Ana said, with a smile

"You didn't" Nikki said, with a dramatic sigh "I'll just stare at him when you're not around"

"Ok" Ana said, with a chuckle "Let me know when you get the restraining order he files against you!"

"So" Nikki said, changing the subject "Are Josef, Mick, and Beth coming to the pep rally?"

Ana nodded. "I'm not sure about Josef, but I know that my Dad and Beth are"

"Why not Josef?"

"Josef doesn't usually do things like that" Ana said, shaking her head "It's not really in his personality"

"Oh" Nikki said, with a nod

"So, are the cheerleaders coordinating the pep rally again?" Ana asked.

Nikki was a cheerleader. She had been on the squad since she was a freshman.

Nikki nodded again. "Yeah" she said "We are"

"Is it going to be good?" Ana asked "I heard that last years stunk"

"How would you know?" Nikki asked "You weren't even at this school yet!"

"Hey, people have been talking" Ana said, defensively "I overheard people commenting on last year's pep rally, that's all"

"Oh" Nikki said, a little annoyed

"What happened last year?" Ana asked "What caused people to hate the pep rally?"

Nikki was silent for a moment. "Last year was the year of the malfunctions"

Ana let out a laugh. "Are you serious?"

Nikki nodded. "The stereo system, the lights, everything!" she said "Even some of the team's ran out into the gym at the wrong time"

Ana couldn't stop laughing. She didn't know what she found so amusing. She figured she expected the "horrible pep rally" to actually be something worse than what it actually was.

"It's not funny!" Nikki said

"I'm-I'm sorry" Ana said, coming out of her laughter "I'll make sure that the softball team comes out at the right time"

Nikki crossed her arms as Ana continued to laugh even more.

&

It was just after lunch, during Anatomy Class, that Eric approached Ana.

"Hey" he said, sitting next to her

"Hey" Ana replied "What are you doing? You don't sit there"

"I do now" Eric replied, with a smile.

"What do you want?" Ana asked, confused as to why he was even talking to her

"I wanted to talk to you" he said "About Saturday"

"Saturday?" Ana asked, suddenly nervous

"Yeah" Eric replied "The day of the dance"

"Oh?" Ana asked, waiting for the question

"Yeah, well, I was wondering…" Eric said "Would you…go to the dance with me...as my date?"

Ana gulped. What should she say?

"Um…" was all that Ana could manage to say

"You don't have to decide now" Eric said, with another smile, somewhat amused that he caught Ana off guard

"Yes!" Ana said, quickly

"What?" Eric asked, not sure if he heard correctly

"Yes, I will go with you" Ana said, slowly, as if she was convincing herself in the process

"Alright!" Eric said, with a smile "Great!"

Ana smiled as Eric bent down and got his textbook and notebook out of his backpack.

_What the hell just happened?_

**_Here's a new chapter for you!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	16. A Little Bit Of Envy

Nikki was in total shock when Ana came to her with the news that she had a date with Eric for the dance.

"Tell me exactly what happened!" Nikki said, excitedly

"He came up to me, asked me to the dance, and I said 'yes'" Ana explained "I'm not even sure why I said I'd go. I just did"

"Admit it!" Nikki said "You like him!"

"No!" Ana said, defensively, quickly trying to come up with a reason for saying yes "I – I did it for the case. This will give me the perfect opportunity to try and find out what's going on"

"Uh huh" Nikki said "Sure"

"It's true" Ana said

Nikki shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes. Ana resisted a chuckle. She did agree to go to the dance with Eric for the case.

Didn't she?

&

"You have a date with him?!" exclaimed Mick, when Ana and Nikki arrived at the St. John apartment, after school "How did you manage that?"

"I don't know" Ana said, plopping herself on the couch

"Apparently, he asked her" Nikki said, crossing her arms "And she just couldn't say no"

Ana glared at Nikki for a moment, which only made Nikki laugh. She turned back to Mick.

"Are you mad?" she asked

"Mad?" Mick said "Why would I be mad?"

"That I have a date with a possible murderer"

Mick thought for a moment. "You know, I didn't even think about that"

"Oh! It will be fine, Mr. St. John" Nikki said "He wouldn't do anything in front of all those people"

"And besides that, I can defend myself" Ana said, looking at the somewhat worried expression on her father's face

Mick let out a sigh and stared at his daughter for a moment. "Alright" he said "But, the only reason I'm agreeing to this is because it's critical for the case, you can defend yourself, and I will be there watching you the entire time"

"Oh yeah" Ana said "That doesn't sound creepy!"

&

"You're really letting Ana go through with this?" Josef asked. He had stopped by the apartment, just for a visit. He now stopped by Mick's apartment at least once a week. Josef always claimed that it was because he got bored at his apartment, but Mick knew the real reason.

Mick knew that Josef was jealous of him – something that he never thought would happen. He knew that Josef was jealous of him because of Ana.

Josef, too, had voiced the fact that he wanted kids, only a few short weeks before Ana showed up. Of course, trying to make a joke out of it, he had said that if he did have any kids, "they'd be dust by now". But, deep down, Mick knew that Josef really wanted what Mick had – he really wanted a family.

"I'll have my eye on her the entire time" Mick said, almost with a smile "I'm going to be like those fathers you see in old movies, polishing the shotgun when the date arrives"

Josef chuckled. "Except for the fact that you will actually be at the dance, giving the date evil glares the entire time"

"Exactly" Mick replied, with a smile.

"So, is Beth going to chaperone with you?" Josef asked

"Yeah" Mick said "Did you even have to ask?"

Josef chuckled again. "No" he said "I guess I didn't"

"Why don't you come?" Mick asked "They still need a few more chaperones"

"I don't know" Josef said "Me and kids?"

"Oh! Come on!" Mick said, smiling "You love kids!"

"Correction!" Josef said, holding up his finger "I only love a select few kids!"

"Right" Mick said, sarcastically "Come on! You'd like it"

"Again, I don't like most kids!"

"Seriously?" Mick said, annoyed that Josef was somewhat lying to him "Look, I know why you stop by so often. It's not to visit me. It's to be with Ana!"

Josef just stared at Mick. He didn't want to admit that Mick was right.

"You have been jealous since she got here!" Mick said

"I'm not the only vampire who's jealous, Mick" Josef said, softly "Many of the other vampires are jealous and envious of you"

"Look, I wish I could help you" Mick said "I wish that I could help all of the vampires. But, _I_ don't even know how it happened. It was just fate…or a miracle"

There was a pause.

"Look, I'm sorry" Mick said, running his hands through his hair "I went way off topic and…"

"It's alright" Josef said "You're right, as much as I hate to say it. I do come over to spend time with Ana…with your _daughter_"

Mick watched as tears formed in Josef's eyes. He hoped that Ana and Nikki stayed upstairs until this conversation blew over. He didn't want them to see Josef like this.

"Who knows?" Josef said, wiping the tears out of his eyes "Maybe, someday, I'll break the rules too"

The two vampires laughed.

"You could always do what Coraline did" Mick said "You could always adopt"

Josef let out a chuckle. "Yeah" he said "I guess you're right"

"Ana! Don't! I believe you!"

Mick and Josef looked up and turned towards the stairs.

"We already made the bet" they heard Ana reply "What are you so worried about?"

"It's dangerous" they heard Nikki say

"Not for a vampire it isn't"

Josef and Mick broke out into laughter.

"Ana, what are you doing?" Mick yelled, with a smile

"You'll see in a minute!" Ana yelled back "Don't forget, Nikki. Twenty bucks says I can do this"

"Fine" Nikki replied, with a sigh.

Mick and Josef stood and headed towards the bottom of the stairs.

"You better get out of the way, guys" Nikki said "You're about to see the daredevil side of Ana"

Mick and Josef smiled as they backed up a few feet. They watched as Ana threw one of her legs over the banister and slid down. Then, just before the stair banister ended, Ana managed to jump up and do a somersault in the air. She landed a few feet in front of Mick and Josef.

"Twenty bucks!" she yelled, running back up the stairs

Nikki sighed and pulled a twenty dollar bill from her wallet.

"Remind me never to bet against a vampire" she said, as the two girls headed back towards Ana's room.

Mick and Josef laughed as they went back to their seats.

"So, when is the dance?" Josef asked

"The day before the pep rally" Mick replied "Beth and I are going to go. The softball game Nikki was telling us about is after the pep rally. You want to come?"

"Sure" Josef said "I'd love to watch Ana play softball"

* * *

**_I hope that the scene between Mick and Josef wasn't OOC. If it was, I apologize. I got inspired for that scene from "What's Left Behind", when Mick and Josef actually did a scene like that. I figured it would fit in perfectly since Mick actually DOES have a kid in my story!! LOL!! :)_**

**_Anyways, here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	17. Helping Nikki Find A Date

Ben sighed as he looked over the case files of Eileen Branson and Alan Robins. He was trying to see if there were any other similarities between the two cases. Other than the fact that both victims had fang marks in their necks, nothing else was common between the two.

He had been trying for days to track down Eileen Branson's boyfriend, but he had no luck yet. Some fingerprints were uncovered earlier that week, just before the second victim was found. But, because of the second victim, those fingerprints had been put on the back burner.

The fingerprints had been tested, to no avail. The fingerprints found were not in the system. They had no way of finding who the fingerprints belonged to.

Ben really didn't want to have to call Mick St. John and have him become more involved than he already was. He already knew that Beth was keeping him informed, and that she was allowing him to help her with the investigation. But, he didn't want St. John to know that _he_ needed his help.

He was tempted to call Ana St. John and having her "work" for him, but he knew that Ana probably wouldn't go for that. Though he had only met her once, Ben could tell that Ana worked with Mick, and not anyone who disliked him. Now, he could have totally been wrong, but that was just what he assumed.

Surprisingly, he liked Ana. Though he had only met her once, she seemed to be very nice and polite. Maybe she would help him.

Ben quickly picked up the phone and dialed Beth Turner's number. He wasn't sure what he was doing. But, he was desperate.

"Hello?"

"Beth!" exclaimed Ben, when she answered

"Ben, are you ok?" Beth asked "Is something wrong?"

"Besides the two murders?" Ben asked, sarcastically "No"

"I'm working on the case as hard as I can"

"That's not what I called about" Ben replied "What can you tell me about St. John's daughter?"

"Ana?" Beth said, confused "Why do you need to know about Ana?"

Ben sighed. "I thought that she might be a useful resource on the case"

"And Mick isn't?"

"Beth…"

"No! Let me get this straight!" Beth said, almost with a laugh "You're willing to get the help of a 17-year-old girl, but not of her father?"

Ben rolled his eyes. "Look, you know as well as I do that St. John and I don't get along" he replied "Ana seems like a nice person. I figured that I could work better with her than with St. John"

"Ah!" Beth said "I see. Well, Ana is just as good at solving mysteries as Mick is. But, I doubt that she'll help you all that much"

"Why?"

"She kind of has some…family… problems to deal with" Beth said, choosing her words carefully

"So, does that mean that St. John isn't working on the case?" Ben asked, with a hint of hope in his voice

Beth laughed. "No." she said "He and Ana will still be working on the case"

"But you said…"

"They'll still be working on the case, but they aren't always going to be available to give help" Beth explained "It's a tricky situation"

"Alright" Ben said, with a sigh "Let me know if you figure out anything"

"Will do" Beth replied.

After hanging up the phone, Ben couldn't help but feel that Beth was hiding something. Something big.

&

Nikki could not stop talking about Ana's upcoming date with Eric.

"We're going to have to go shopping!" she said, excitedly "And to the nail salon! And…"

"Nikki!" exclaimed Ana "Calm down! Can we please change the subject?"

"Why?" Nikki whined "I love this topic!"

"Well, I'm starting to get tired of it!" Ana replied. She thought for a moment and smiled. "Who are _you_ going to the dance with?"

Nikki's face went completely red. She looked down at the floor, as Ana started chuckling.

"Just what I thought!" Ana said "You are using the fact that I have a date to avoid the fact that you don't!"

"I'm trying" Nikki replied, looking up from the floor "It's just that every one of the boys already has a date"

"What about Aaron?" Ana asked, with a smile "I don't think that anyone has asked him yet"

"Aaron Richards?" Nikki asked, wondering if Ana was serious "The _Star Wars_ freak? No way!"

"Oh come on!" exclaimed Ana "You're a fan of _Star Wars_!"

"Not as much as he is" Nikki said "None of the kids in our grade are _Star Wars_ fans as much as he is!"

Ana laughed. "Well, he's kind of cute"

"Yeah" Nikki replied, sarcastically "Underneath the huge glasses and pimples!"

"Come on!" Ana said, almost in a motherly tone "Don't forget. I know what you look like without your makeup on and contacts in!"

Nikki glared at Ana for a moment.

"Come on" Ana said "He might be your only option. What's worse? Going to the dance with Aaron or going dateless?"

"Fine!" Nikki said, with a dramatic sigh "I'll ask Aaron!"

"This I got to see!" Ana said, with a smile "Remind me to bring my camera for when he says yes"

&

Eric tried to quietly walk up the stairs towards his room, trying not to wake his mother. He made it to his room without making a peep, but, unfortunately, someone was waiting for him.

"Eric!" exclaimed Coraline, crossing her arms "Where have you been? It's after midnight!"

"The moonlight's at its best at midnight, Mother" Eric replied, with a small smile "I was just out for a walk"

"A walk?" Coraline repeated, with an angry tone "Since when do you go out for walks?"

"I just started" Eric replied, quickly "It's good for us, you know. Especially at night when we don't have to worry about the sun"

Coraline nodded, still not believing him. "Well, hurry up and go to bed" she said "Don't forget, you have school tomorrow"

Eric nodded as Coraline left his room. Once she had left, he closed the door behind her. He let out a huge sigh and carefully took his clothes off. Once he had done that and had put his pajamas on, he laid down on his bed.

He started thinking about many things. Life. Death. Love. Ana.

Ana. He had been surprised when she agreed to go with him to the dance. He was expecting her to say no. Then, he would have to go through the trouble of trying to make her jealous by asking Nikki.

But fortunately for him, Ana agreed. He had not been sure if she had truly forgiven him for the gym incident. But, after she agreed to go on a date with him, he knew that she had moved on.

He tried to block out the reason he was _supposed_ to get Ana to go with him to the dance. He only focused on the reason that was most important – that he wanted to be with her and hopefully, in turn, she would want to be with him.

With this happy thought in his mind, Eric drifted off into a pleasant sleep.

&

"Well, looks like Eric has a date with Ana St. John" Gianni told Russo "I told you that the plan was in motion"

"Well, it's not moving quickly enough" Russo replied

"Look, if nothing happens after the date, we'll take alternate means to get her with us" Gianni said "But, from the looks of Eric's note, everything seems to be in our favor"

"What do you mean by alternate means?" Russo asked "The boss doesn't want her harmed in any way"

"I know that" Gianni said "But, if we have to scare her into coming with us, we have to scare her. Plain and simple"

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	18. The Morrison High School Pep Rally

The weekend of the pep rally and dance came all too quickly for Ana, who was almost dreading her date with Eric. It wasn't that she was mad at herself for agreeing to go with him. She wasn't. Surprisingly, she was nervous.

Nikki, of course, could not contain her excitement. Ana was actually rather shocked that Nikki was excited about the dance. Aaron Richards had agreed to go to the dance with Nikki, even though Nikki really didn't want to go with him.

The day of the pep rally, the whole school was a buzz with excitement. No one could concentrate on their classes, though they only had to go to a few of them. The teachers didn't really care. Even they weren't in the mood to do anything. Everyone just wanted to go to the pep rally and – more importantly – the baseball game between the baseball team and the softball team.

At 12:00, the students were allowed to leave the school and head for the gym, where the pep rally was going to be held.

As the students made their way towards the gym, Ana and Nikki scanned the crowd for Mick, Josef, and Beth.

"Are they coming?" Nikki asked "I don't see them"

"They're probably with the rest of the parents who came to the pep rally" Ana replied

"What about Coraline?" Nikki asked, as she and Ana broke away from the crowd "Is she coming?"

"Don't count on it" Ana replied, beginning to walk away from Nikki "It doesn't look like she interacts with humans much"

Ana and Nikki waved at each other as they separated. Ana headed for the girls locker room, to change into her softball uniform and Nikki headed to the girls bathroom to change into her cheerleading outfit.

&

Like Ana had predicted, Mick, Beth, and even Josef were sitting with the rest of the parents, including Nikki's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Holden, who had introduced themselves to Mick, Beth, and Josef when they arrived at the school.

"You know, Josef, you surprise me" Beth said, with a smile "I've never seen you go out so much!"

Josef let out a chuckle. "I'm truly interested"

"Meaning?" Mick said, with a smile, as the student body started filing into the gym

"Meaning that this case you have has perked my interests" Josef replied "And, I want to see Ana play softball"

Mick and Beth laughed as the student body finished filing into the gym. The trio quickly scanned the crowd. Ana, Nikki, and Eric were nowhere in sight.

"I wonder where they are" Josef said

"They're in the back" Mrs. Holden replied, turning towards Josef, Beth, and Mick "They call out the teams one by one"

"What team is Nikki on?" Beth asked

"She's a cheerleader" Mr. Holden replied, with a smile

"Oh" Beth said, smiling back

"Alright! Settle down!" Principal McLennan said, over the gym's P.A. system

The students slowly quieted down, with the help of the faculty shushing them. Beth let out a chuckle. She hadn't been to a high school pep rally in years.

"Now, you all know why we're here" Principal McLennan said "To support the teams from your school!"

The students cheered. Principal McLennan smiled as she motioned to the gym door. The students cheered even more when the cheerleaders ran into the gym. They lined up across the bleachers where the students sat, one group facing the students, the other group facing the opposite side of the gym, where the parent's section was.

"Alright!" Coach Parkington said, taking over the P.A. system. "Let's hear it for the baseball team!"

Everyone started cheering and clapping as the baseball team ran through the two lines of cheerleaders. The cheerleaders were cheering and jumping up and down.

"And the softball team!" Coach Parkington continued

Mick, Beth, and Josef stood and cheered as they watched Ana and the rest of the softball team run into the gym.

"Don't forget to come to tonight's game!" Coach Parkington said "It's the baseball team vs. the softball team!"

The two teams turned to each other, as if they were having a face off. Eric and Ana, who were coincidently the captains of their teams, walked towards each other.

"I didn't know you were on the softball team" Eric said, as the crowd continued to cheer, trying to hide the shock in his voice

"I'm just full of surprises" Ana said, sarcastically and with a sly smile "I hope this doesn't ruin our plans for the dance"

Eric smiled back. "Not a chance"

Both Eric and Ana turned on their heels and walked back to their teams.

"Oh! This just got very interesting!" Josef said, to Mick and Beth, smiling

&

The rest of the pep rally was pretty much the same type of thing. They called the rest of the teams out into the gym, and each team sat in a designated area around the gym. The volleyball team and the football team even played a game of volleyball. No one knew who came up with that idea, but it certainly got some laughs from the crowd. And, much to everyone's surprise, the football team won, but only by a point.

"Well, that was amusing" Mick said, as the volleyball and football teams left the gym "I really wasn't expecting the volleyball team to lose"

"None of us were" Josef said "So, is that it? We still have a while before the softball game"

"It must be" Beth replied "The rest of the students are leaving the gym"

Mick, Beth, Josef, and the rest of the parents in the parent section got up and started to get their things. They didn't even notice when Ana and Nikki ran up behind them.

"Well, how did you like the pep rally?" Nikki asked, excitedly.

"It was wonderful, Nikki" Mrs. Holden said, giving her daughter a kiss on the cheek "You and the rest of your squad did a great job organizing it!"

"I liked that game" Josef said, smiling at Ana and Nikki "Who came up with that idea?"

"That was all Nikki" Ana said, pointing at her best friend "She figured it would be one of those things we'll never forget"

Nikki nodded and smiled. "I thought it was very creative"

"It was" Mick said, with a smile "It was a very amusing sight"

"The faces on the volleyball team when they lost were priceless!" Beth said, with a smile and a laugh

"Well, come on, Nikki" Mr. Holden said "We have to go and get some dinner before we come back for the big game!" He winked at Ana, who smiled back.

"Ana, would you like to come with us?" Mrs. Holden asked, excitedly "We're going to Red Robin!"

"Actually, we already have some plans" Ana said, quickly, pointing between her and her family "But, thank you for the offer"

Nikki let out a sigh, as if she was holding her breath, and smiled a small smile at Ana. The group said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

"That was quick thinking, Ana" Beth said, as they left the gym

"You get used to it after a while" Ana said, with a shrug "When my old friends invited me places where eating was involved, I've either had to have plans or have already eaten. Surprisingly, my old friends bought it every time"

"Well, your old friends must not have been very observant" Josef said, with a smile "Because, if it were me, I'd notice if one of my friends never ate with the rest of the group"

Ana laughed. "Well, my old friends weren't that smart to begin with"

"It doesn't sound like it" Mick said, with a smile

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	19. The Baseball Game & Startling Revelation

The time for the game also came really quickly. Everyone was excited. Most of the school, if not all of the school, had come back for the exciting game between the baseball and softball teams. It was girls vs. boys. The game had perked everyone's interests.

Mick, Beth, and Josef had taken a few seats on the very top row of the bleachers, so they could have a clear view of any suspicious behavior coming from Eric, or anyone else at the game for that matter. Nikki sat, with her parents, on the first row of the bleachers. She, too, had a perfect view of the field.

It was a chilly night. Everyone who was at the game had long sleeved shirts and jackets on. Some even had scarves. The kids on the team had to put on long sleeved shirts underneath their tank-top uniforms (for the girls) and short sleeved shirts (for the boys).

"Do you think Coraline is coming?" Beth asked, rubbing her hands together to keep them warm

"I doubt it" Mick said, scanning the crowd "It looks like she likes to stay hidden. She's probably back at her house"

A shiver went down Beth's spine, and it wasn't just because of the cold. She had been to Coraline's house, which was made up of windows, twice before. Once when she was 4 and kidnapped, and once when she was an adult, trying to prove that Coraline was a vampire again. Not happy memories.

"I'm sure that, even if she could come, Eric wouldn't let her" Josef said, with a smile "He doesn't seem like the type who would want his mother coming to his games"

&

Eric looked up into the bleachers, scanning the crowd for his mother.

"Of course not" he said, to himself "Why would she?"

Eric shook his head and bent down to pick up his glove. When he stood back up, he saw someone standing across the field, away from the bleachers. He smiled and then ran back to the dugout.

Coraline smiled when she saw her son smile back at her. She knew that he was always upset when she didn't go to see him play baseball. But, since this was a big game and she was worried about him, she decided to come. And, as a bonus, she would get to see Ana, whom she really didn't know that well, and, more importantly, Mick.

&

The crowd started clapping as the umpire and the team captains walked out into the middle of the field. It time to do the coin toss to see who was in the field first and who was at bat first.

The coin was tossed and Ana's team won. She decided that her team would be in the field first. Eric nodded and he and Ana headed back to their appropriate dug-outs. The umpire headed back behind the plate and got ready for the game to begin.

Ana's primary position in the field was pitcher. According to her coach, she had "one hell of an arm", which made sense considering what she was. Ana made sure not to throw the ball at her full strength. If she did that, bad things would happen.

Ana smiled a sly smile when she saw who was at bat first. Eric smiled back as he got himself ready at the plate. Ana let out a breath and threw the ball at Eric. Even with his speed, Eric swung and missed the ball.

Eric turned and looked at Ana in shock. Both he and Ana had the same amount of speed, considering what they were. How could he have missed that ball?

"Strike One!" the umpire yelled

Ana smiled and reached up to catch the ball, as the catcher threw it back to her. Eric prepared himself again. Ana let out another breath and threw the ball.

"Strike Two!"

Eric was clearly getting annoyed now. Ana was loving every minute of it. Of course, it might make things awkward for the date the next day, but she didn't care. She loved seeing the shock on Eric's face.

Ana threw the ball and Eric swung one last time.

"Strike Three!"

&

"Baseball has never been this amusing" Josef said, as Eric stormed off of the field. "I've got to come to these games more often"

"I don't get it" Beth said, bringing her voice down into a low whisper "I thought that vampires were abnormally fast. Why couldn't Eric hit the ball?"

"I don't know" Mick replied, turning towards her "Maybe Ana's just a little faster or something"

"But, they couldn't have been going at their full strength" Beth said

"Maybe Eric was distracted by the fact that Ana was pitching" Josef said "I think that he likes her"

"And that may or may not be a good thing" Mick added

&

The game went by really quickly. The girls were losing by one run and it was the bottom of the 9th inning. The bases were loaded. Ana was up to bat. If she hit a homerun, her team would win. She stole a quick glance at Eric, who played shortstop, before focusing all of her attention on the pitcher.

"Come on, Ana!" she heard Nikki yell, from the stands "You can do it!"

Ana took in a deep breath and let it out. Then, just before the pitcher threw the ball, something caught Ana's attention. Someone was heading towards the field, someone who Ana hadn't seen since her mother's death.

Ana's attention focused back on the game just before the pitcher threw the ball. Once the ball was thrown, Ana lifted her left heel and swung the bat. She hit the ball and it rocketed across the field.

The crowd cheered as Ana, and the rest of the girls, ran around the field. The boys were desperately trying to get the ball. Eric turned his head as Ana touched second base. He tried block her, but she still ran past him. Eric let out a small growl as Ana touched third base.

"Get the ball!" he yelled at his teammates in the outfield

But, it was too late. Ana had already touched home plate. The girls cheered, as did the crowd. The boys threw their hats on the ground in anger. Eric had a hard time not vamping out. But, with his mother and all these people watching, he knew he couldn't and calmed himself down.

Ana smiled as she gave everyone on her team high fives. She looked up and saw the woman she had seen earlier standing by the girls' dugout. Ana quickly broke away from the crowd and headed over to the woman.

"Aunt Danielle!" Ana said, hugging her aunt "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I came to see you" Danielle replied, smiling at her niece "How have you been?"

"Great!" Ana said "Have you found anything about Mom?"

Danielle took in a deep breath and nodded. "That's one of the reasons I came back to Los Angeles"

"What is it?" Ana asked, not realizing that Mick, Beth, and Josef had walked up behind her.

Danielle stiffened as she looked past Ana. Ana turned around.

"Oh!" Ana said "Dad, Beth, Josef. This is my Aunt Danielle. Aunt Danielle, this is my father, Mick St. John, my godfather, Josef Kostan, and my friend, Beth Turner"

"Pleasure to meet you" Danielle said, as she shook Mick's hand, and then went on to shake Beth and Josef's hands

"It's nice to meet you too" Mick replied "You're Ana's aunt?"

Danielle nodded. "Alina was my sister"

"Are you…?" Beth began to ask

A confused look spread over Danielle's face.

"She knows" Ana whispered into her aunt's ear

"Ah!" Danielle said, smiling at Beth "Yes, I am"

"What are you doing in town?" Mick asked, a little annoyed that Ana didn't tell him she had an aunt "Do you live around here?"

"Yes, actually" Danielle replied "But, I have been out of town for a few months"

_That explains why she wasn't here when Alina died_ Mick thought

"Can we tell them?" Ana asked

Danielle stared at her niece for a moment.

"He's a detective" Ana said, pointing at Mick "And Beth works for the D.A.'s office"

Danielle thought for a moment and nodded.

"Ana, what's going on?" Mick asked

Ana took in a deep breath and turned to face her father, her godfather, and her friend. "Aunt Danielle and I believe that my mother was murdered"

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	20. A Look Into The Past

Coraline tried to smile when she saw Eric storm towards her.

"You did a great job" she said, with a smile

"Did you see her, Mom?" Eric asked, angrily "She struck me out every time! How the hell is that possible?"

"I don't know" Coraline replied, as she and Eric headed to her car "Don't let it get you too upset"

"How can it not?" Eric asked, lowering his voice "We are both vampires. We both have the same amount of strength and speed. I should have been able to hit those pitches!"

"Don't forget" Coraline said, as they got into the car "She is…different. Maybe her strength and speed are a little better than the average vampire"

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this" Eric said, crossing his arms, as Coraline turned the car on.

Coraline stole a quick glance at Eric as she pulled out into the road. She didn't know why he was getting all uptight because of a baseball game. It was just a game. There was something else going on…and Coraline could only hope that she and the others would get to the bottom of it.

&

With the news of Ana and Danielle's suspicion, everyone headed to the St. John apartment. Once there, Mick had Danielle and Ana explain their suspicions.

"Now" Mick said, as everyone got situated in the living room "Why do you think that Alina was murdered?"

"The police that covered the case said that Alina was cooking something on the stove, left the room and a fire somehow started" Danielle replied "Now, we all know that vampires have no reason to actually be cooking on a stove. You just have it there for looks"

Mick and Josef nodded in agreement.

"Plus," Ana added "My mother never got near fire. She was very careful. Whenever a fire was nearby, big or small, my mother stayed clear of it. The only way she would have been near a fire is if someone tried to kill her"

"Do you have any evidence to back this up?" Beth asked

Danielle shook her head. "After Alina's funeral, I went back to the house" she explained "I couldn't find anything. Everything had been burned. I could just barely pick up the scent of a vampire. Since then, I've been trying to track her murderer or at least my prime suspect down."

"We think that my mother and Aunt Danielle's sire was the one who killed her" Ana said

"Do you know their name?" Josef asked

Danielle nodded. "Lance" she said "Our sire's name is Lance"

&

"Lance?!" exclaimed Mick "Like…"

"Coraline's brother, Lance?" Danielle said, with a small smile "Yeah. He's the one"

"That's why you were so keen on fighting him" Josef said, remembering Ana's rage when a bug had been planted in her room, and Josef suggested it might have been Lance "You think he murdered your mother!"

Ana nodded, remembering the bug incident herself. "When I heard you say that name, everything about my mother's death flowed back into my mind" she said "I wanted to come face to face with Lance and get him back for what he did to me and Aunt Danielle"

"How do you know Coraline?" Beth asked, looking at Danielle

"I've only seen her once or twice" Danielle replied "But, Lance would talk about her once in a while. That's really only how Alina and I knew her"

"When was the last time you talked to Lance?" Mick asked

Danielle shrugged. "It's been a long time" she said "Maybe a year. He kept more in touch with Alina. The only reason I think he's involved in Alina's death is because Alina told me what he wanted from her"

"Which was…?" Josef asked

"Me" Ana replied, softly "He wanted me because of how I broke the rules"

Danielle noticed how everyone stiffened when Ana told them what Lance had wanted.

"He threatened to kill my sister if she didn't let Ana go with him" Danielle said "Of course, my sister refused. She thought that she would be able to fight him if he tried anything. She didn't even think he'd use fire"

"Now, we have even more of a reason to suspect Lance in the case and the problem with Coraline" Beth said

"What are you talking about?" Danielle asked "What case? What problem with Coraline?"

Mick went on to explain the whole situation to Danielle. He told her about the two murders, Eric, and Coraline's suspicion that the Vampire Mafia is back in operation.

Danielle's eyes couldn't help but widen. "Wow" she said "I'm glad I came back"

"Did you come back because you heard Lance was in L.A.?" Josef asked

Danielle nodded. "That and I wanted to check on Ana"

"Where is your apartment?" Mick asked "Do you live close to here?"

"Yeah" Danielle said "I actually live two or three blocks away from here"

"Well, that's convenient" Josef said, with a smile

Danielle laughed.

"Are you here permanently now?" Beth asked

Danielle nodded. "I'm tired of following Lance all around the country or world for that matter" she said "After we get him, I'm staying in L.A."

Ana's face brightened when she heard her aunt's promise. "Sweet!" she said "One big happy family!"

"And just as complicated as a family can get!" Josef said, with a smile

&

"Why didn't you tell me you had an aunt?" Mick asked, once he and Ana were alone in their apartment

"I didn't think it was that important" Ana replied, with a shrug

"Don't you think you should tell me about any family you have?" Mick asked "Instead of them just showing up out of nowhere"

"Aunt Danielle is the only family I have left on my mother's side" Ana said, almost annoyed "You don't have to worry about anyone else showing up."

Mick let out a sigh. "Look, I'm sorry" he said "I didn't mean to sound mad"

"I understand" Ana replied "Do you have any other ex-wives I have to worry about?"

Mick laughed. "No" he said "Just Coraline"

"Good" Ana said, getting up from the couch "So, now we're even. Neither one of us has family that is going to show up randomly"

"Danielle seems nice" Mick said, following his daughter to the kitchen

"She is" Ana replied, pouring herself a drink "She's probably one of the nicest people you will ever meet"

"How did your mother and Danielle meet Lance?" Mick asked "Do you know?"

Ana shook her head. "I don't know much" she said "How come you didn't ask Aunt Danielle when she was here?"

"The question didn't even spring to mind" Mick said, with a shrug

"Well, from what I know" Ana said, heading back towards the living room, with a cup of blood in hand "They met at a dance hall, back in 1952"

Mick nodded and waited for Ana to continue.

"I guess that Aunt Danielle and my Mom were out for a night on the town" Ana said, taking a sip of blood "From what I understand, the two of them had gone out for dinner and dancing. When they were dancing, they met Lance. Lance apparently told them that he was glad he decided to go out, something he hardly did at all, because he was able to meet them. Then, 3 hours later, he turned my mother and aunt into vampires"

"How did your mother and Danielle react when they realized what Lance had done to them?"

Ana sighed. "From what I know" she said "My mother was thrilled…"

"Why was she thrilled?" Mick asked "Why wasn't she mad?"

Ana stared at Mick for a moment. "My mother was afraid of death" she said "It scared her more than anything else in the world. So, when Lance told her that he made her immortal, it was like her prayers were answered"

"And Danielle?"

"Danielle was pissed" Ana said, with a laugh "She almost hated Lance for what he had done to her…like what you felt towards Coraline when she turned you. That's one of the reasons Lance didn't really keep in touch with Danielle, and vice versa. My mother was the only one who was grateful for what Lance did"

Mick nodded again. "Well, I'm glad that we were able to find out this information" he said "It will help with the case"

Ana smiled. "Of course it will" she said "But, now we just have to figure out why Lance would have killed two random people for no reason"

**_Here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	21. The Morrison High School Dance

"Your aunt is a vampire too?!" exclaimed Nikki, when Ana told her about Danielle the next day "What? Do you come from a family of vampires?"

"Yeah" Ana said "I do"

They were at Nikki's house preparing themselves for the dance. It wasn't like Prom when you had to get really dressed up. You could show up in jeans and a t-shirt, but Nikki wanted Ana to come over a couple of hours early so she could do Ana's make-up and hair. She wanted to make sure that Ana looked perfect for Eric.

"So, were your grandparents vampires?" Nikki asked, taking Ana's hair out of the ponytail Ana had arrived in

"No, it doesn't really work like that"

"What do you mean?"

Ana took in a deep breath. "You can't be born a vampire" she said "You have to be turned into a vampire by another vampire"

"So, who turned you?" Nikki asked "Your Mom? Your Dad?"

"No one turned me"

"But you said…"

"I am the only vampire in history who was actually born a vampire"

Ana smiled when she saw Nikki's eyes bulged out of her head and her mouth dropped open in the mirror.

"Wow!" Nikki said, breathlessly "So, you're like a vampire celebrity?"

"Pretty much" Ana said, with a chuckle

"So, who turned your parents and aunt?"

"My mother and aunt were turned by a vampire named Lance" Ana said "My father was turned by Coraline on their wedding night"

"Wow" Nikki said, combing Ana's hair "What a way to start a marriage!"

"Yeah" Ana said "My Dad wasn't too happy"

Ana paused for a moment. "You know, Lance is our prime suspect for the case, right?"

"Are you serious?" Nikki asked, excitement flickering through her eyes "How does Danielle feel about that? Since Lance turned her and all?"

"Danielle and I are actually the ones who think he did it"

"Why?" Nikki asked softly

Ana paused again. "Because we think he killed my mother"

Nikki almost dropped the brush. "Your mother's dead?"

Ana slowly nodded. "She died in a fire"

"I'm so sorry" Nikki said "Is that why you came to live with your Dad?"

Ana nodded again, surprised that she was able to not break down into tears.

"Aw, Ana, I'm so sorry" Nikki said "That sucks"

There was a long pause before Nikki broke the silence.

"I thought that vampires couldn't die?" Nikki said, as she started to brush Ana's hair again "I thought that they were immortal?"

"We are" Ana replied "Fire is one of the only things that can kill a vampire"

Nikki nodded. "How do you want me to do your hair?" she asked, changing the topic

Ana smiled. "Surprise me"

&

Since Ana was going to meet him and Beth at the dance and he didn't have to pick Beth up for another hour or so, Mick decided to do some investigating.

He sat down at his computer and typed in the site for the local newspaper. He went into their archives and started searching their obituaries.

He was looking for Alina's obituary. When he found a link for it, a bolt of fear shot through him. He wasn't sure why. He had only known Alina for one day. After that one day, he never saw her again.

He clicked on the link. Almost immediately, the article appeared on the screen. A picture of Alina was with it, thanks to digital photography.

Mick was almost shocked by Alina's beauty. Her dark, brown hair came to just above her shoulders. Her blue eyes sparkled and her smile was perfect. Before seeing this picture, Mick could barely remember what Alina looked like.

Tears sprang to his eyes as he read the obituary:

_On the afternoon of July 30, 2008, a raging fire took the life of Alina Mariano, 30. A Memorial Service is scheduled for this Saturday at ten in the morning. She is survived by her sister, Danielle, and her 17-year-old daughter, Anastasia St. John. _

Mick wiped the tears out of his eyes. He had been hoping that the obituary would shed some light on parts of Alina and maybe even Danielle's past. Mick then moved on to search for the news article on the fire itself.

He found it easily:

_30 July 2008_

_A raging fire broke out in the home of one Alina Mariano earlier this afternoon. Mariano, 30, was killed by the raging flames that were consuming the house. Police do not suspect foul play. It is believed that Miss. Mariano had been cooking at the stove and had walked away, for reasons unknown. While she was gone, something near the flame caught on fire and sent the whole house ablaze, with Miss. Mariano trapped in side. Danielle Mariano, the victim's sister, 30, had been on her way to visit her sister when the fire started. The victim's daughter, Anastasia St. John, 17, had been at a friend's house that day and came home to find her house ablaze. _

_The police are still investigating the fire, but it seems like this case is about to close._

Mick sighed as he finished reading the article. The article pretty much told him everything that he already knew, everything that he had already found out from Ana. He figured that he could always ask Beth to pull the case file for him, to see if that would shed some light on anything, but he figured that the case file wouldn't be that helpful if the police didn't suspect foul play.

Glancing at the clock, Mick realized that it was time to get ready to chaperone the dance. He got up from his desk and headed through the living room and towards the stairs.

&

Earlier that morning, Ana had informed Danielle about the case that she, Mick, Beth, Josef, and Nikki were working on. She told Danielle everything – about Coraline, about Eric, about the two victims – everything that had to do with the case.

Ana had invited her aunt to chaperone at the dance, in case she wanted to keep an eye on Eric, but Danielle refused. She figured that Mick and Beth could handle the situation. She didn't want to interfere, since she figured out that Mick and Beth were a couple, but she did expect to get a full report from her niece and her "brother-in-law"…if that's what she would even call him…after the dance was over.

So, when nighttime came, all Danielle could think about was Ana and the dance. She was even almost tempted to just show up, but she knew that it would catch everyone off guard.

Instead, Danielle began to read the copies of the case files that Beth had given to Mick. She, automatically, started looking for something that would connect the murders to Lance.

She automatically started _praying_ that she would find something connecting the murders to Lance.

&

Ana didn't really understand why Nikki made her go over to her house 2 hours early. All that Nikki did was straighten Ana's already somewhat straight hair and paint her nails – things that clearly could have been done an hour before the dance. But, Ana didn't care. She liked hanging out with Nikki.

When they got to the dance, Ana and Nikki noticed Mick's car already in the parking lot. Ana's eyes widened when she saw a red Ferrari parked next to it.

"Oh my God!"

"What?" Nikki asked, as she and Ana got out of her car "What's wrong? Did you forget something?"

"No" Ana said, her eyes staring at the Ferrari "Josef's here!"

Nikki looked at the car Ana was staring at and her mouth dropped open. "That's Josef's car?!"

Ana nodded.

"How the hell can he afford that?" Nikki asked, as she and Ana turned and headed into the school's gym

"Didn't I tell you?" Ana asked "Josef's a billionaire"

Nikki stopped in her tracks. Ana slowed to a halt and stared at her friend.

"Are you ok?"

"Billionaire?" Nikki said "Billionaire? Man! You're lucky!"

Ana smiled as she grabbed Nikki's arm and dragged her into the gym.

&

Mick smiled when he saw Ana and Nikki walk into the gym. He had felt sort of awkward being at the dance without Ana there. He wasn't sure why, though he knew that it was probably because all of the girls who were already at the dance couldn't stop staring at him. To make it worse, whenever he smiled at them or anything to acknowledge that he saw them, they would start giggling.

"Look's like you have a few fan clubs" Beth said, walking back over to her boyfriend with some punch in her hand "Enjoying it?"

"Not really" Mick replied, as Beth took a sip of her drink "It's really kind of weird"

Beth laughed. "Yeah, I know" she said "I don't know what they see in you"

She smiled and laughed as Mick rolled his eyes and scanned the crowd. Ana and Nikki were talking with some other girls who he assumed were in Ana's grade. He watched as the girls looked from him to Ana and back. They, obviously, had no clue that he was Ana's father.

Mick couldn't help but smile when he saw that Ana was explaining to the girls that he was related to her. The girls looked at him with big eyes. All he could to was smile and wave at them, which made them huddle around Ana even more, pushing Nikki out of the circle completely.

"Look's like your daughter is getting mobbed!" Josef said, walking up behind Beth and Mick "Man, I miss those days!"

"What days?" Mick asked, with a smile

Josef glared at his friend for a moment. "So, when is Eric going to get here?" he asked, changing the subject "Or is he here already?"

"He's not here yet" Beth replied, quickly scanning the crowd "I'm sure that he'll be here soon"

As if on cue, Eric walked into the gym. He scanned the crowd and then made his way towards Ana.

"And the watch begins" Josef said

&

"Hey, Ana"

Ana and Nikki turned when Eric walked up behind them.

"Hey, Eric" Ana said, with a nervous smile

"You look nice"

"You too"

Nikki, feeling slightly awkward, cleared her throat. "Well, I'm going to see if my date arrived yet"

Nikki winked at Ana and walked away.

"Who does Nikki have as a date?" Eric asked, taking a step closer to Ana

"Aaron Richards" Ana replied

Eric chuckled at the thought of Nikki going on a date with one of the biggest freaks in all of Morrison High School. He kind of felt bad for her.

"Do you want to get a table?" Ana asked, motioning to the tables set up near the side of the gym "We don't have to dance yet"

Eric shrugged. "Sure"

Ana looked back at Mick, Josef, and Beth as she and Eric walked to an empty table. She laughed when she saw Mick straining to get a better view and then turned back to her date.

&

The dance seemed to go by very quickly. Ana and Eric danced a lot, but also saved time for conversation. They couldn't help but laugh as Aaron desperately tried to dance with Nikki during one of the slow songs.

"Someone needs to give him dancing lessons" Eric said, coming out of his laughter

Ana playfully hit him on the shoulder. "He's trying"

"Badly"

Eric turned back to Ana, who was trying very hard not to break out into laughter again.

"Is that your Dad?" Eric asked, turning back to the dance floor

Ana turned and saw Mick dancing with Beth, with Josef standing on the sidelines.

"Yeah" Ana said, smiling

"Who is he with?"

"His girlfriend, Beth"

"Oh"

There was a pause for a moment.

"Do you want to dance?" Eric asked

Ana nodded. "I'd love to"

Eric took Ana's hand and let her out onto the dance floor.

&

"Remember the last time we did this?" Beth asked

"Yes" Mick said "I guarantee you that this time no one will be murdered"

Beth laughed. "I figured that much" she said. She paused for a moment, looking into Mick's eyes. "You know, you haven't changed that much"

"Meaning?"

"Since Ana came" Beth replied "You haven't changed"

"Is that a good thing?"

"Yes" Beth replied "It is. It means that you're still the same old Mick. Same old, old fashioned Mick"

Mick smiled and let out a chuckle. "Well, then, thank you"

Beth smiled and put her head on Mick's chest as they continued dancing.

&

Eric and Ana couldn't stop smiling as they danced. Ana was having a really good time. It was just too bad that she'd have to ruin the moment while she had the chance.

"Eric" she said, as the song ended "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure"

Ana looked up into Eric's eyes, regretting what she was about to do. "Why did you break into Beth Turner's apartment?"

**_Here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	22. Deja Vu

"What?!" Eric asked, pulling away from Ana as the rest of the students started talking and dancing to a faster song. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about" Ana said, getting annoyed at the fact that Eric was trying to deny it "Your scent was the one at Beth's apartment the day her apartment was broken into. You can't deny it"

Eric stared at Ana for a moment. "If you suspected me for this long, why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because I had never gotten close enough to you to confirm it" Ana replied, noticing Mick, Josef, and Beth staring at her out of the corner of her eye. "It wasn't until we danced together tonight that I knew I was right"

Eric rolled his eyes, trying to find the words to explain himself. "I didn't mean to"

Ana crossed her arms. "Meaning?"

"Meaning…" Eric said, putting his hands in his pockets "I didn't mean to break into her apartment. I was looking for someone else and accidentally went to Beth's apartment instead"

Ana stared at Eric for a moment. She wasn't sure if she should believe him or not.

"Who were you looking for?"

"My ex-girlfriend" Eric replied, as he and Ana sat down at their table "She disappeared after school one day and I went looking for her. I didn't know where she lived. So, I went in the general vicinity that I thought she lived in.

"I knew that she lived in a big, two story apartment with her parents" Eric continued "And, I knew that her apartment number was 5. So, when I saw apparently Beth's apartment building, I went inside. I went to apartment 5, knocked on the door many times. When no one answered, I broke the door in.

"I don't know what was wrong with me. I just was worried about her and looked all over the apartment for anything as to where she might have been. It was only after I saw a picture of you, Beth, and your father and that there was no second floor to the apartment that I realized I was in the wrong place"

"So, you didn't want to steal anything, it was just a mistake?"

"Pretty much" Eric said "Like I said, I really don't know what was wrong with me"

"What happened when you found out she was killed?"

Eric took in a deep breath. "I was shattered" he said "I thought that Eileen was 'the one'. You know?"

Ana nodded. "I'm so sorry" she said "I didn't mean to accuse you"

Eric smiled a small smile. "That's ok" he said "I probably would have asked the same thing if I was in your position"

Ana smiled.

"I know this may be pointless, but, do you want some punch?" Eric asked, pointing to the food table "We can at least pretend"

Ana laughed and nodded. She watched as Eric walked away. She only turned when she realized that Mick was behind her.

"So?" he said, as Ana crossed her arms and spun around in her chair "What's going on?"

"Eric was the one who broke into Beth's apartment" Ana said "He says it was an accident. I'll tell you the whole story when we get home"

"And you don't believe him?"

Ana turned back to look at Eric, who was talking to Nikki and Aaron, holding two glasses of punch in his hand. "No, I don't. Not at all" she said "He's hiding something. I can tell"

&

The rest of the dance went by very quickly. By the end of the dance, Nikki was desperately trying to get away from Aaron, who just wouldn't leave her alone. Nikki even went up to Josef and started talking to him. Josef, feeling bad for Nikki, played along. Mick and Beth couldn't help but stifle a chuckle as Josef kept leading Nikki away from a very desperate Aaron.

Ana and Eric, who had a perfect view of the Nikki/Aaron situation, couldn't stop laughing.

"Remind me to teach Aaron some dating etiquette" Eric said "Because, if he ever wants to go out with Nikki again, he's going to need some work"

"Even then, I doubt Nikki would want to go with him" Ana said, with a smile "Not after tonight"

Eric laughed. "Well, I think that my date was pretty amazing"

Ana couldn't stop smiling. "Mine wasn't that bad either"

"Good" he said "Maybe we can do this again sometime"

Ana nodded. "Maybe we can"

Eric looked at his watch and back at Ana. "And now, I must go" he said "My mother is waiting for me"

Ana nodded. "Thanks for a great evening, Eric"

Eric bent down and kissed Ana's cheek. "Ditto"

Ana smiled as Eric walked out of the gym.

"I saw that"

Ana turned around to see Nikki and Josef standing behind her.

"I thought that you were supposed to be avoiding Aaron" Ana said "Not spying on me"

"Oh, I think that Aaron is pretty tied up" Josef said, pointing towards Aaron.

Aaron was talking with Mick and Beth, boring them to death, from what Ana could see. Ana couldn't help but laugh.

"I think I can get Aaron to leave everyone alone" Ana said "Would you excuse me?"

Josef and Nikki nodded as Ana walked away.

"What do you think?" Nikki asked, looking at Josef

"There's definitely something going on between those two" Josef said "We just have to keep an eye on that as well"

&

"My favorite scene was when Anakin and Obi-Wan started fighting" Aaron was telling Beth and Mick

"Aaron!"

Mick and Beth's eyes lit up when they saw Ana walking towards them. _Thank God!_

"Oh! Salutations, Ana" Aaron said "I was just explaining to your father and Miss. Turner about…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah" Ana said, stopping Aaron in mid-sentence "_Star Wars_. I would have never guessed. Listen, I need you to do something for me"

"Of course" Aaron said, as Ana led him away from Mick and Beth "What do you need?"

"Now, please don't get offended by this"

"I won't"

"Go watch some other movies!" Ana said "_Indiana Jones_, anything! Just please, get off of _Star Wars_ for a little while"

"You don't like…"

"I love _Star Wars_" Ana replied "But, it's kind of tiring to hear you only talk about those movies. You need a variety of topics to talk about, not just _Star Wars_"

Aaron nodded. "Alright, Ana" he said "I'll try"

Ana smiled a small smile and then went back to Mick and Beth.

"Wow!" Beth said "Talk about being obsessive!"

"That was insane!" Mick said "Is that seriously all he talks about?"

Ana nodded. "We all think it's sort of strange"

"I'll say" Mick said. "So, you two ready to go home?"

&

"You were supposed to bring her here!" exclaimed Gianni "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"It wasn't the right moment" Eric replied, crossing his arms, as Gianni started pacing

"'Wasn't the right moment?'" Russo said "It was the perfect moment!"

"Her father was there!" Eric said "And her godfather! And her father's girlfriend! They were watching her! I couldn't have gotten away with it with them there!"

"Oh! That's a load of crap!" Russo said "You could have easily stolen her away!"

"You yourself are afraid that with St. John on the case, we'll be found out!" Eric said "You know that St. John notices everything!"

Russo glared at Eric for a moment, as did Gianni.

"Besides" Eric said "St. John loves Ana. More than anything else in the world. She's his miracle, for God's sake! He won't let her out of his sight, and, when he does, he always knows where she is, where she's going, and who she's with. It's going to take a little while before Ana St. John is going to get here!"

Eric stormed out of the room. Gianni and Russo looked at each other and nodded once.

It was time for _their_ plan.

&

"Did you have fun at the dance Saturday night?" Ana asked Nikki, as the two girls walked into the girl's bathroom of their school Monday morning "It looked like you and Aaron were having a fun time"

"Ugh!" Nikki groaned, as the door closed behind her "Aaron! I don't know why I agreed to go to the dance with him!"

"Why?" Ana laughed "He didn't seem that bad Saturday"

"All he could talk about was his extensive knowledge of _Star Wars_!" Nikki said "I never should have told him that I was a fan!"

"Hey, I told him I was a fan and he never did that to me" Ana said, as she walked into one of the stalls "He likes you!"

Nikki groaned again as she walked into the stall next to Ana. "Lucky me"

Ana laughed. "At least you didn't have to go to the dance with a possible murderer!"

"Hey!" Nikki said, as she finished her business and came out of the stall "He's better than Aaron! Besides, you know you liked it"

Ana smiled as she, too, finished her business and came out of the stall. As the girls were washing their hands, a funny smell filled the air.

"Ana, do you smell something?"

Ana sniffed the air. Her face became full of fear. "Smoke"

"Smoke?" Nikki said, drying her hands with a paper towel "I wonder where it's coming from"

Ana quickly dried her hands and went to the door. The smell of the smoke was much, much stronger. She slowly put her hand on the doorknob. It was very warm, but not warm enough to burn her.

She slowly opened the door and her eyes widened in fear. A fire was raging outside of the bathroom, consuming the hallway. Ana could hear people yelling and screaming. Memories of the fire that claimed her mother's life came flowing back into Ana's mind. Ana's eyes filled with tears at the memory of that fateful day.

Not realizing what was happening, Ana jerked away when the door to the bathroom caught on fire. The fire consumed the door within seconds, and then began to proceed into the bathroom.

Nikki screamed when she saw the fire. She looked to Ana, thinking that Ana could save them, being a vampire and all. She got even more scared when she realized that Ana wasn't doing anything, that she was just backing away in fear.

"Ana! Do something!"

"I can't!" Ana said, crying "I can't!"

"What are you talking about?!" exclaimed Nikki "You can do everything else!"

"Fire kills vampires" Ana said "It's one of the only things that can kill us! That's how my mother died! A fire killed her!"

Nikki gulped when she saw Ana's serious and sad expression. She wanted to run over to her friend and hug her, to try and make her feel better. But, she knew that there was no time for that now.

Thinking the same thing, she and Ana ran to the window. They tried to open it but it was locked. Even Ana couldn't get it open. Ana studied the lock for a moment and realized that someone had welded the lock to the window. They started banging on the window and yelling, praying to God that someone would hear them.

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	23. Emerging From The Flames

Mick was sitting in his living room, enjoying a nice cup of blood and listening to the news, when one news story perked his interests.

"Fire at Morrison High School" the reporter said. Mick looked up at his TV screen to see a reporter standing in front of Ana's school. All the color drained from his face. Fear overwhelmed his body.

"Firemen are trying to put out the fire as best they can" the reporter said "Our sources tell us that the fire is not going to consume the entire school, but only a small portion of the building. Once the fire is out, students should be able to go back to school within a week or two"

"Did everyone get out ok?" Mick asked the TV

"I've just been told that to students are still somewhere in the building" the reporter continued "Firemen are trying desperately to find the two students…"

Without listening to the rest of the report, Mick grabbed his sunglasses and coat and headed to his car and Morrison High School.

&

Both Beth and Josef were already at the school when Mick got there. He quickly scanned the crowd for Coraline and Eric. Eric was with the rest of the students and Coraline was nowhere to be found.

It then dawned on Mick that neither Ana nor Nikki were in the crowd of students with Eric.

"Mick!" he heard Beth exclaim. He turned and saw Beth and Josef hurrying towards him.

"Where is she?" Mick asked, jaw clenched

"She's one of the students stuck inside the school" Beth replied, with a shaky voice

"Nikki's with her" Josef said, softly

Beth and Josef eyed Mick carefully, not sure what he was thinking or what he was going to do. Then, all of a sudden, Mick took off towards the school.

"Oh crap!" exclaimed Josef, taking off after Mick. Beth just stood there in shock. She put her hand to her mouth to try and stop herself from crying.

&

"Hold it, sir!" one of the firemen said, when Mick got close to the building "You're going to have to stay back!"

"But, my daughter's in there!" Mick yelled, as Josef came up behind him

"Sir, we are doing our best to get your daughter and the other student out of there" the fireman said "Please, just stay back!"

Mick hesitated for a moment. He just stared at the part of the school that was burning. Josef put a hand on Mick's shoulder.

"Come on, Mick" he said, softly, trying to hide the shakiness in his voice "Let them do their job"

Mick slowly turned and Josef led him away from the building and back to Beth. They watched the building continue to burn.

&

Ana and Nikki were choking on the smoke that now filled the bathroom. Their voices were tired from all of the yelling. Their muscles ached from banging on the window. The oxygen supply in the room was slowly dwindling.

"What do we do now?" Nikki asked, through a cough "They'll never find us! We're going to die!"

Ana was about to say something when something perked her interests. She sniffed the air. Even though the air was full of smoke, Ana was able to pick out a very special, deadly scent.

"Arson" she said, softly

"What?" Nikki yelled, sniffing the air

"Arson!"

"Arson!" exclaimed Nikki "What?!"

"This fire was started by arson! Someone wanted me dead!"

"How do you know they were after you?" Nikki asked "It could just be some psychopath or something!"

"Believe me, Nikki" Ana said, coughing "They started this fire to see me burn!"

Nikki nodded when she saw Ana's serious expression, again. _Who would want to kill Ana?_

It was then that the smoke and lack of oxygen had taken its toll on Ana and Nikki. The two girls slumped to the hot bathroom floor. Darkness surrounded them…

&

"Move aside!" yelled one of the firemen "Let the ambulance through!"

Mick, Beth, and Josef's heads perked up when they heard the fireman. They looked towards the school. Two of the firemen were coming out of the building – with Ana and Nikki in their arms.

Mick, Beth, and Josef quickly made their way towards the ambulance.

Mick saw Eric, trying to push his way through the crowd of teachers and students that had gathered around the ambulance. He also saw Mr. and Mrs. Holden run towards the ambulance.

"Nikki!" exclaimed Mrs. Holden "Good God! Nikki!"

Mr. Holden had to grab onto his wife to keep her from grabbing onto Nikki's body as the two girls were put onto stretchers. Mrs. Holden started bawling. Mick was having a hard time not doing the same.

"Ma'am" one of the firemen said "Don't worry. Your daughter's still alive. Both of the girls are still alive"

Beth let out a sigh of relief. Mick kept his eyes on Ana, making sure he could see her chest moving up and down, making sure that she was still breathing.

Mick and Josef's eyes widened when they saw the two EMT's load Ana and Nikki into the ambulance. There was no way they could keep Ana from going to the hospital – the mortal hospital – without jeopardizing the secret.

"Mick, what are we going to do?" Josef said

"Call Guillermo" Mick said, heading towards the ambulance "Tell him what happened. Have him run the examinations on Ana"

Josef nodded as he quickly turned and explained what was happening to Beth "We have to call Guillermo and get to the hospital"

Beth nodded. "I'll meet you there" she said.

Josef nodded as he and Beth headed towards their cars. Little did they know that Eric was watching them the entire time.

**_Here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	24. Waiting in the Hospital

The hospital was a buzz with people by the time the ambulance got there. Everyone had heard about the fire at the high school and everyone had heard how Nikki and Ana had been trapped inside.

Many of the hospital authorities had to hold the crowd back as the EMT's took Nikki and Ana out of the ambulance. As he and Mr. and Mrs. Holden got out of the ambulance, Mick scanned the crowd for Josef and Beth. Seeing neither of them, Mick hurried inside.

Somehow, Mick didn't really know how, Beth and Josef managed to make it inside the hospital. They were standing by Guillermo, who was waiting for the EMT's to hand Ana over to him.

"Mick, what happened?" Guillermo said, as he pushed the gurney Ana was on towards an empty examination room "There was a fire…?"

"Someone lit part of Ana's school on fire" Mick said, not taking his eyes off of Ana

"The fire was huge" Beth said "I'm surprised that the whole school didn't go up in flames"

"Did you have a hard time getting out of the morgue?" Josef asked "Did anyone see you?"

"It was a piece of cake" Guillermo said "Now, it would help if you waited outside. I don't know how long this is going to take"

Beth and Josef nodded. Mick didn't respond. He didn't move. Josef had to lead Mick out of the examination room. Guillermo closed the door behind them and turned back to Ana.

&

Minutes felt like hours to Mick as he, Josef, and Beth waited patiently – or at least as patiently as possible – for Guillermo to come back out of the room he was examining Ana in.

"What is taking so long?" Josef asked, as he paced back and forth in front of the chairs Mick and Beth were sitting in "What the hell is going on in there?"

"I'm sure that Guillermo is working as fast as he can" Beth said "These things take time…"

Mick put his head in his hands. He closed his eyes. All he could see were the flames that engulfed Ana's school.

"Mr. St. John?"

Mick looked up when he heard Eric's voice. "Yes?"

"I'm Eric" he said, sticking out his hand for Mick to shake "I went to the dance with your daughter"

Mick nodded as he shook Eric's hand.

"How is she?" Eric asked, almost eagerly "Is she going to be alright?"

"We don't know" Beth replied.

"Oh" Eric said, putting his hands in his pockets. Josef eyed Eric carefully. Something seemed out of place.

"I guess I'll come back later, when she's awake" Eric said "Nice to see you all again"

Mick, Beth, and Josef nodded as Eric turned and left the hospital.

"Hmm" Josef said "That was a short visit"

"Seems like he found out what he needed to know" Mick said, angrily "He's up to something. Maybe Coraline was right. Maybe he is working for the mob!"

"Don't say that!" Beth said "We don't know that for sure!"

"Mick!"

Mick, Beth, and Josef looked up when they heard Danielle yell for Mick. She was running as fast as she could, trying to reach them.

"Where is she?" Danielle asked, out of breath "Is she ok?"

"Guillermo's examining her right now" Josef replied, softly "We don't know anything"

"What happened?" Danielle asked, sitting down, next to Mick

"Somehow, Ana's school caught on fire" Mick replied "Ana and Nikki got caught inside"

"Oh my God!" Danielle said, putting her hand over her mouth

"They made it out of there with no burns or injuries" Beth continued "They were just unconscious when they were found"

Danielle's face had become pale. Mick knew that all Danielle was thinking about was Alina and how this attempt on Ana's life must have been done by the same person who murdered her sister.

All heads turned when Guillermo walked out of the room.

"How is she?" Mick asked, as he got out of his chair. Josef turned to face Guillermo and Danielle and Beth stood as well, all eagerly awaiting the news on Ana's condition.

"She's going to be fine" Guillermo said "There's an IV in her arm giving her blood. Once she wakes up, she'll be fine"

The group let out a sigh of relief.

"Can we see her?" Danielle asked

Guillermo nodded. "Sure" he said "Go ahead"

"Mick, you go first" Josef said "We'll wait out here"

Mick nodded and slowly walked into Ana's room. Guillermo closed the door behind him.

Mick's eyes filled with tears when he saw Ana's unconscious form lying on the bed. He walked up to the bed and put a stray piece of Ana's dark brown hair behind her ear.

Mick pulled a nearby chair up next to the bed and sat down, holding onto one of Ana's hands, praying that she would make it through this.

&

_The smoke was heavy in the air. Even from the outside, you could feel how hot the fire was. The firemen, brave as they were, could barely get near the raging flames._

_Running down the crowded street, running through the crowds, people yelling at her for being so rough, not knowing that it was her mother burning in the flames._

_"Mom!!" she screamed "Mom!! Good God! No!!"_

_She couldn't see who held her back from the burning house. She tried fighting it, but lost as the house started to crumble. She looked down at the hands around her waist._

_A Man's hands._

_She looked up into the face of the person holding her…._

_And screamed._

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter for you!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	25. Safety Precautions

Ana woke with a start. Panting heavily, she looked around the room.

_The hospital? How did I get to the hospital?_

She slowly brought her hand up to touch the tube that had been put into her nose, which was giving her oxygen. Then, she looked at her arm.

There was an IV stuck in her arm. Instead of giving her medicine, like a _normal_ IV would, this one was giving her blood.

Looking around the room again, Ana noticed Mick sleeping in a chair which was nearby a very cold, portable air conditioner, probably put there by Guillermo. How he didn't hear her wake up Ana would never know. Not wanting to wake him – since he probably tried to stay awake as much as possible – Ana nestled back into her bed and tried to fall into a relaxed sleep.

But, the door opened instead.

Ana opened her eyes and smiled a small smile when she saw Josef walk into the room, carrying a pot of lilacs.

"Hey"

Josef stopped in his tracks and stared at the bed. A smile slowly crept across his face.

"Hey yourself" he said, walking up to the bed "How are you feeling?"

"Tired" Ana replied "Scared"

"That's understandable"

"Josef, I need to tell you something" Ana said, softly, wanting to get this off of her chest as soon as possible "But, I don't want Dad to know…yet"

"What's wrong?" Josef asked, suddenly concerned "What's the matter?"

Ana stared at Josef for a moment. "The fire was started by arson"

Josef stared at his goddaughter in shock. "Arson?"

"I could smell it in the smoke" Ana said "Could you possibly tell Dad for me?"

Josef slowly nodded. "We'll tell him once you come home"

Ana nodded. "Where's Guillermo?" she asked "I want to thank him"

"How did you know that Guillermo treated you?" Josef asked, with a small smile

"The only way that I would be actually treated in a mortal hospital is if an immortal worked in it"

Josef laughed. "He's just filling out some of your paperwork" he said "He'll be in to check on you shortly"

Josef turned to look at Mick. "Should we wake him?"

Ana nodded. Josef chuckled as he walked over to his best friend.

"Mick" he said "Mick, wake up"

Mick took in a deep breath as he began to wake up. "Josef" he said, a little groggy "When did you get here?"

"Apparently a few minutes after someone woke up"

Mick jumped up from his seat and looked towards the bed. Ana waved a small wave at him as he rushed over to her.

"Oh! Thank God!" exclaimed Mick "Ana!"

"Hey, Dad"

"I thought I lost you"

"I know" Ana said "I thought that too"

There was a pause for a moment.

"When can I go home?"

"Tomorrow" Guillermo said, walking into the room

"Guillermo!" exclaimed Ana "Thank you so much for taking care of me!"

"Yes, Guillermo," Mick said "Thank you"

Guillermo smiled. "I'm just glad that you are ok"

"How's Nikki?" Ana asked

"Nikki's doing fine" Guillermo replied "I've been told that she woke up about two hours before you did"

Ana smiled, relieved that Nikki made it out alright.

"Can you stand a few more visitors?" Guillermo asked

Ana nodded and smiled as Guillermo stepped back to reveal Beth and Danielle.

"Here come the waterworks!" Josef said, with a smile, noticing the tears of joy in Danielle and Beth's eyes

&

Eric tried to control his temper as much as possible as he sprinted from the hospital, down the streets, and towards the park.

He had been hoping to hear that Ana was alive and well. That nothing was wrong.

"Damn bastards!" Eric practically yelled, referring to Gianni and Russo "What the freakin' hell were they thinking?"

Eric turned and punched a nearby tree, not even reacting when his knuckles started bleeding. He put his back against the tree and slowly sat down on the grass, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Please" Eric said, to the heavens "Please. Make her well again. Help her get through this. I need her. I need her to survive. I love her"

&

"This is out of control!" Mick exclaimed, pacing back and forth in Josef's office, after coming home from the hospital the next day and after Josef had told him about the arson.

Ana was sitting in a chair in front of Josef's desk, trying not to break down into tears. The last time she had seen a fire like that…her mother was…

"What are we going to do?" Beth asked, walking up behind Ana's chair "If Ana stays here, she'll be killed!"

Mick ran his hands through his hair. He looked at Ana, who was staring off into space, staring at nothing in particular.

"We have to get her out of here until it's safe to come back" Josef said, putting his hand on his goddaughter's shoulder. "I'm going to New York this weekend anyways. She can come with me"

Mick looked from his daughter to his best friend. The thought of his little girl being smuggled out of L.A. (even if it was only for the weekend) sickened him.

"Alright" Mick said, softly "Ana, you will go with Josef to New York. Beth and I will call you when it's safe for you to come back"

Ana nodded, not looking at anyone. Mick slowly walked over to her, and knelt down next to her chair.

"That was how she died" Ana said, trying not to cry "A raging fire, eating everything in its path!"

Ana got up and stormed out of the room, slamming the door to Josef's office behind her. Josef and Beth couldn't help but notice the tears streaming down Ana's face. Mick tried to go after her, but Josef stopped him.

"Don't" he said "Let her have some time alone"

Mick started to protest when Beth intervened.

"She's been through a lot" she said "It's good for her to let this out. It's good for her to have some time to herself once in a while"

Mick stared at the closed door for a moment and nodded his head. He knew that Beth and Josef were right. He knew that Ana needed some time alone.

&

Ana was trying very hard not to cry as she put her back against the wall outside of Josef's office and slid to the ground. The memory of the fire that took her mother's life was all she was thinking about.

She missed her mother so much. She was so used to seeing her everyday, seeing her smile, hearing her laugh. The first few days after the fire were tough for Ana, which was completely understandable. She wouldn't talk to anyone, not even Danielle.

What upset Ana the most was that on the day of the fire, she had a huge fight with Alina. That was the only reason she had even gone over to a friends' house that day. If she had not left the house, she would be dead too.

Ana's eyes filled with tears as she looked up to the ceiling. All she could think about was Alina, and what she wished she could say to her. She started to sing to herself – something that she did when she was trying to calm herself down.

"Seems like it was yesterday when I saw your face  
You told me how proud you were but I walked away  
If only I knew what I know today

I would hold you in my arms  
I would take the pain away  
Thank you for all you've done  
Forgive all your mistakes  
There's nothing I wouldn't do  
To hear your voice again  
Sometimes I want to call you but I know you won't be there

I'm sorry for blaming you for everything I just couldn't do  
And I've hurt myself by hurting you  
Some days I feel broke inside but I won't admit  
Sometimes I just want to hide 'cause it's you I miss  
You know it's so hard to say goodbye when it comes to this

Would you tell me I was wrong?  
Would you help me understand?  
Are you looking down upon me?  
Are you proud of who I am?  
There's nothing I wouldn't do  
To have just one more chance  
To look into your eyes and see you looking back

I'm sorry for blaming you for everything I just couldn't do  
And I've hurt myself  
If I had just one more day, I would tell you how much that  
I've missed you since you've been away

Oh, it's dangerous  
It's so out of line to try to turn back time

I'm sorry for blaming you for everything I just couldn't do  
And I've hurt myself

By hurting you"

After singing "Hurt" by Christina Aguilera, the tears fell down Ana's face.

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter for you!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	26. Guardian Angel

Ana was crying when Danielle came running down the hallway.

"Oh thank God!" exclaimed Danielle, kneeling next to her niece, giving her a big hug "I just heard that you came home. Are you ok?"

"Just barely" Ana said, staring at the ceiling

Danielle stared at Ana for a moment. "I know" she said, rubbing Ana's back "It's hard"

"That was exactly what I saw when she died! When Mom was taken away from us!" Ana said, hysterically "I come home and all I see is fire. All I see is firemen and huge crowds of people standing outside, just like today at school!"

Ana shook her head. "I can't believe it happened again" she said "First, Lance burns my mother alive, and now he's after me? He takes my mother away from me, so I would never see or hear her again, and then he goes after me?"

Danielle had to blink tears out of her own eyes. The memory of her sister's murder was all too clear in Danielle's mind. She, like Ana, had arrived at the house to see it engulfed in raging flames, burning everything in their path.

"You know something?" Danielle said, trying to make Ana feel better "Your mother was with you, today in the fire. That's how you and Nikki were able to survive"

Ana turned to look at her aunt. "What are you talking about?"

"You know about guardian angels, right?" Danielle said. Ana nodded. "Well, your mother is your guardian angel"

"You mean, she's looking down on me?" Ana asked "Protecting me?"

"Exactly" Danielle said "Your mother was only taken away from you physically. But, she will always be with you spiritually"

Ana smiled a small smile. "That's a nice thought"

Danielle smiled. "So, just remember," she said "Your mother is always going to be with you. She'll help you get through everything"

Ana nodded again as she and Danielle stood up.

"Thanks, Aunt Danielle" Ana said, giving her aunt a hug "That made me feel a little better"

"Good" Danielle said "Now, let's go in and see the others"

&

Josef and Mick informed Danielle of their plan of smuggling Ana out of L.A. when she and Ana walked into the office. Danielle agreed, saying that it would be good for Ana to go away for a little while, so she, Mick, and Beth could try and track down the person who set the school on fire.

While Mick, Beth, Danielle, and Josef were discussing the next day's trip, Ana got a call from Nikki.

"How are you feeling?" Nikki asked, quietly

"I'm fine now" Ana said, softly "How about you? Are you ok?"

"Yeah" Nikki said, with a chuckle "I'm fine. So, do you want to do something tomorrow? You know, since we don't have school for a while?"

"I can't, Nikki…"

"Because I was thinking we could try and hang out with Eric" Nikki said, obviously not hearing Ana "To see if we could find anything out that would help the case"

"Nikki…"

"We could invite him to the mall or something…"

"Nikki! I'm leaving!"

Nikki was silent for a moment. Ana felt tears well up in her eyes. She didn't really want to leave L.A., even if it was only for a few days.

"Leaving?" Nikki managed to squeak out "What are you talking about?"

Ana took in a deep breath. "I'm going to New York tomorrow morning with Josef"

"What?" Nikki said "Why?"

"Remember how I told you the fire was started by arson?" Ana asked "Remember how I told you that someone wanted me dead?"

"Yeah" Nikki said "I remember"

"Well, I'm sort of being smuggled out of L.A." Ana said, trying to sound happy "Sort of like Michael Corleone in the 'Godfather'"

Nikki laughed a little. "When will you be back?"

"I don't know" Ana said, her voice serious again "It depends"

"On what?"

"On how fast my father, my aunt, and Beth can determine that it's safe for me to come back" Ana replied "But, don't worry, I'll call you every day I'm away"

"You better!"

Ana laughed.

"Boy!" Nikki said "When you said Vampire Drama, you really meant it!"

Ana laughed again. "Yeah" she said "Don't worry, you'll get used to it eventually"

&

It had been a quiet night at the St. John apartment, which made sense considering what had happened within the past few days. The moment they walked into the door, Ana had gone upstairs. Mick was tempted to follow, but didn't. He knew that Ana needed time.

But, when it got to be around midnight and Ana hadn't gone to bed yet, Mick decided to go and find her. He found her in her favorite spot – the upper floor balcony.

Mick walked up to his daughter as a light breeze blew and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I don't want to leave tomorrow, Dad" Ana said, with a shaky voice

"Why not?" Mick asked "I'm sure that you'll have a good time in New York"

Ana turned to look at her father with teary eyes. "I don't want to take the chance of losing another parent"

Mick's eyes automatically filled with tears as he pulled Ana to him, embracing her. "You're not going to lose me"

"How do you know?" Ana asked, still holding onto Mick "I left my mother for one afternoon and she was burned to death. What would happen to you if I leave for the weekend?"

Mick pulled away and looked into Ana's eyes. "I will always be there for you" he said, with a serious expression "I'm never going to leave you. This whole plan of getting you out of L.A. is hurting me just as much as it's hurting you"

"It's the first time we've been separated like this" Ana said, trying not to break down into tears again "All the other times, you were mere miles away. One phone call and you were there within minutes. This time, you are going to be so much farther away"

"But, I will be there when you need me" Mick said "I promise"

"I used to think that this whole Vampire Mafia thing was somewhat cool" Ana said, turning back towards the edge of the balcony, leaning against it "What with my being Italian and a major _Godfather_ fan…"

Mick smiled a small smile.

"But, now" Ana continued "After experiencing two of their 'hits', I'm not so sure"

"Two?"

"Well, there was the fire at school, which was obviously a hit from the Mafia, due to the fact that a raging fire doesn't just spurt up out of nowhere especially when arson is involved" Ana said "And then there was the fire that killed my mother"

Mick nodded, facing the same direction that Ana was facing.

"How do you know that the Mafia is after you?"

"I don't" Ana replied, softly "But, with two attacks directly effecting me, things start to come together"

Ana turned to face Mick again.

"If Eric _is_ involved in the Mafia, he would be their informant" she said "He would be able to tell them about me because he goes to school with me. He would be able to tell them where I lived and where I went to school. He would be able to tell them who my friends and family are"

She turned back to the edge of the balcony. Mick turned his head to face his daughter.

"Everyone I love is in danger" Ana said, not looking at Mick "Because of me"

**_Here's a new chapter for you!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	27. The Long Awaited Miracle

The next morning, after a lot of goodbyes from Mick, Danielle, and Beth, Ana and Josef got on the plane for New York.

"So, why are you going to New York?" Ana asked "Business?"

Josef stole a quick glance at his goddaughter "Sort of"

"Are you ok?" Ana asked "You look like you're crying"

"I'm fine" Josef said, with a small smile "How are you doing? You going to make it?"

Ana chuckled. "Being smuggled out of L.A. for a few days?" she said, in a better mood than the night before, since she was trying to make the best out of the situation "Sounds exciting, don't you think?"

Josef smiled. "That's the Ana I know and love!"

&

The rest of the plane ride had been sort of quiet. Ana knew that something was going on with Josef. He wasn't acting like himself. While she realized that some of this behavior was probably because she was almost killed, Ana knew that something else was going on.

After the plane landed, Josef and Ana got into a limo, which to Ana's surprise had been waiting for them, and headed into the city. Ana was surprised when the limo pulled up to a house, instead of the Park Plaza Hotel – a place she figured a man like Josef would stay in.

"Is this where we're staying?" Ana asked

"Yeah" Josef said, as the limo driver took their suitcases out of the trunk of the car "Do you mind?"

"No!" Ana said "I think it looks nice. I just can't picture you staying here. Is there a reason? Did you grow up here or something?"

"Ana, I'm over 400 years old" Josef said, with a small smile

"Right!" Ana said, picking up her suitcase "Well, shall we?"

Ana noticed how Josef's face had grown sad, almost depressed. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah" Josef replied "Let's go"

The two vampires crossed the street and walked up the stairs of 301 Waverly Place. Josef rang the doorbell and a woman came to the door.

"Mr. Kostan!" she said "What a pleasure to see you again!"

"Paula" Josef said "This is Ana St. John"

"Ah! Yes!" Paula said "I have both of your rooms all ready for you"

She paused for a moment, looked at Ana, and then turned to Josef.

"Does she know about…?"

"Not yet" Josef said, quickly "But, she will soon"

The way Josef answered Paula perked Ana's interests. As they went into the house, Ana tried looking for something that would make Josef have a connection to this place. Sadly, she couldn't see anything that would link back to Josef.

&

After getting settled in her room, Ana decided to explore the house. Josef was in his room, possibly taking a nap, and Paula was in the kitchen, eating dinner.

Ana walked down the stairs and walked through the living room and family room. Everything was so beautiful. There were many paintings on the walls, all of flowers or sunsets or just nature in general.

What caught Ana's attention was the room with two huge, white doors. Ana walked up to the doors and opened them. Her mouth dropped open when she saw what was inside.

"I knew you'd find her eventually" came Josef's voice from behind her. Ana whipped around.

"Look, Josef, I'm sorry!" Ana said, quickly "I didn't know…"

"It's ok" he said, walking up to her "I was going to tell you later anyway"

"Who is she?" Ana asked, as the two walked into the room

"Sarah Whitley" Josef replied, with a shaky voice "The only woman I've ever loved"

&

Josef went on to explain the whole story about him and Sarah to Ana. The whole time, Ana stared at the unconscious Sarah.

"So, I'm waiting for there to be something to bring her back" Josef said "But, that will be a miracle"

"I can save her" Ana said, not taking her eyes off of Sarah

"Wh-What?" Josef stuttered "What are you talking about?"

"I can save her" Ana said, looking at her godfather "I can bring her out of the coma"

"Re-Really?" Josef stuttered, again

Ana nodded. "May I?"

All Josef could do was shake his head. Ana slowly walked up to Sarah's bedside. Josef watched as Ana bent down and touched Sarah's neck, where the scars from Josef's bite were still visible. She slowly bent down and bit Sarah's neck, in the exact same spot where Josef had bitten her. Josef wasn't sure what Ana was doing, but he didn't care. He had to have Sarah back.

After about a minute or two, Ana stood up and wiped the blood off of her lips. Josef watched as the fang marks around Sarah's neck automatically healed. He watched as her eyes began to open and as she began to move.

"She's a vampire, just like you guys wanted" Ana said, standing next to her godfather "I figured after all these years, both of you would want her to be a vampire"

"Ana! How did you do this?" Josef asked, in disbelief "How did you save her?"

"I am a healer, meaning that I can heal any illness" Ana explained "I can cure people from many lethal diseases. I can even bring people out of death or comas. It's part of my many different vampire qualities"

Josef whipped around and gave his goddaughter the biggest hug he had ever given her. Ana was shocked, but hugged back.

"Ana! You are the most amazing person I have ever met in my life!" Josef said "I love you so much! Thank you! Thank you!"

"Hey!" Ana said, with a smile, pulling away from Josef "What are goddaughter's for?"

Josef smiled.

"Now, go and be with her!" Ana said, with a smile "I'll be outside"

"No!" Josef said "Stay. I want Sarah to meet you"

"Are you sure?" Ana said "Don't you want time alone with her?"

"Later" Josef said, pulling Ana with him to Sarah's bedside.

"Charles…?" Sarah said, looking around the room for him

"I'm right here!" Josef said, with the biggest smile on his face. He would have to tell her about his real name later.

"What happened?" Sarah asked, still a little groggy

"Something went wrong in the turning process" Josef said, trying not to cry "You went into a coma"

"What year is it?" Sarah asked, seeing all the technology around her

"2008" Josef replied "And, you still look like you're 30!"

"Does that mean I'm a vampire?" Sarah asked, as eagerly as she could, after having just been in a coma for over 50 years

Josef smiled and nodded. "Yes, sweetheart" he said "You're a vampire"

"How?" she asked "How did you save me?"

"I didn't" Josef said "My goddaughter did"

"You have a goddaughter?" Sarah said, with a smile

Josef nodded. "She's my best friend's daughter" he said "Her name is Ana"

"Where is she?" Sarah asked "I'd love to meet her"

Josef turned around and pulled Ana, who had been standing behind Josef, to the bedside. "She's right here"

"It's nice to meet you, Miss. Whitley" Ana said "I'm Ana St. John"

Sarah looked up at Ana and smiled. "Please call me Sarah" she said "Thank you so much, Ana. I owe you so much"

"No" Ana said "It was nothing"

"Are you a vampire?" Sarah asked, not realizing that was the only way Ana could have saved her, still a little groggy from just waking up

Ana nodded. "Yes" she said "I am"

"The only vampire in history who was actually born a vampire" Josef added, proudly

Sarah was shocked. "Wow" she said, trying not to drift back to sleep "That's quite an accomplishment, Ana"

Ana smiled and laughed. "Thanks"

She turned to Josef. "I'll leave you two alone now"

Josef smiled and gave his goddaughter another hug. "Thank you so much, Ana"

Ana smiled. "Just make sure you do one thing for me"

"Anything"

"Make sure that she becomes my godmother!" Ana said, smiling.

Josef smiled. "Oh! I will!"

Ana turned and left her godfather and his future bride (her future godmother) to give them some privacy.

**_Well, majority rules! Thank you to everyone who participated in the poll about whether or not to bring Sarah into my story. I really appreciate it!_**

**_I just posted a new poll in my profile about something else I would like to eventually do, most likely in the sequel to "Nightfall". If you could tell me what you think, I would greatly appreciate it!_**

**_Anyways, here's a new chapter for you!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	28. Letting The Good News Be Known

When Paula had heard the news about Sarah waking up, she automatically went in to see her. Sarah was now sitting up in bed, as bright and cheery as Josef had ever seen her. Ana, who had told Paula about Sarah waking up, was standing outside the doors of Sarah's room, still feeling like an outsider.

"It's so nice to see you awake, Miss. Whitley" Paula said, smiling "I just can't believe it!"

"It's a miracle" Sarah said, stealing a quick glance at Ana, who smiled. She turned back to Paula. "_Josef_ told me how you've taken care of me" she continued, emphasizing Josef's name, so she could get used to calling him that "And I just want to thank you. I am indebted to you"

Paula smiled. "You waking up is all the reward I need"

Paula stared at Sarah for a moment, smiling, and then turned and left the room. Sarah watched as Paula left and as Ana tried to follow.

"Ana! Wait!" she said, causing Ana to turn around "Come here. Don't be a stranger!"

Ana walked towards Sarah. Josef was sitting in a chair on the opposite side of Sarah's bed.

"I just wanted to thank you again for what you did for me" Sarah said "I owe you so much"

"It's nothing really" Ana said

"Yes it is" Josef said "You performed a miracle!"

Sarah smiled at her fiancé. "Anyways, Josef and I want to take you out" she said "Tomorrow, we're going shopping and tomorrow night, we're going to the theatre"

"Oh, you really don't have to do that" Ana said "I don't want you guys to feel obligated, and you have to get used to this new century…"

"It's the least we can do" Josef said "Besides, it will give us ample time to get ready for the wedding!"

Ana smiled. She knew that this was going to happen. "So, when's the date?"

"As soon as possible" Josef said "I don't want to take the chance of losing her again"

Sarah looked at Josef, smiled a small smile, and turned back to her future goddaughter.

"Ana, go and call Mick" Josef said "Tell him and Beth to come to New York. Tell them to bring Nikki and Danielle along. I'll pay for their travel expenses"

Ana, smiled, nodded and headed out of the room to make the call.

&&&&&

Mick, Danielle, and Beth had not been able to find anything as to who started the fire. There was no evidence at the scene. Everything had been burned. All they knew was that the fire had been started by a vampire and that they had used arson.

"Should we tell Ana that it's safe to come home?" Beth asked, sitting on one of the couches at Mick's apartment

"Not yet" Mick said "I think that she should just come home with Josef"

"Josef's visiting Sarah again, isn't he?"

Mick nodded. "He's hoping that, one day, she'll wake up"

Danielle had learned about the tragic tale of Sarah Whitley when she had asked Josef why he was going to New York. She felt so sorry for Josef, having to live with the fact that the love of your life was lying in a coma.

Beth and Danielle looked away, to blink the tears out of their eyes, when Mick's phone rang. They turned back to Mick, only to see a smile on his face.

"Hey, Angel" he said "How's New York?"

Beth and Danielle smiled when they realized Mick was talking to Ana.

"New York is great" Ana said, on the other line of the phone "Why don't you come and see for yourself?"

"Ana, we can't, remember?" Mick said, causing Danielle and Beth's expressions to become confused "We have to make it safe for you to come back"

"I think that you should come to New York"

"Why?" Mick asked "Is something wrong?"

"No" Ana said "Josef's getting married?"

"Josef's what?!" exclaimed Mick

"He's getting married" Ana repeated

"Getting married to who?!" Mick said, causing Beth and Danielle to jump out of her seats

"You're not going to believe this" Ana said, with a chuckle

"Who is Josef marrying, Ana?! Tell me!" Mick said, getting more and more anxious

"Sarah Whitley"

Mick's mouth dropped open. A dazed look spread over his face.

"Mick? What is it?" Danielle said "Who is Josef marrying?"

"Sarah Whitley" Mick said "She woke up!"

"Oh My God!" Beth said, almost squealing

"Yeah" Ana said, hearing Danielle and Beth in the background and not wanting to brag to Mick, Danielle, and Beth about how she saved Sarah "So, Josef wants you, Beth, and Aunt Danielle to come to New York ASAP. He said to bring Nikki with you. He said that he'll pay for everything"

"Tell Josef we'll be there!" Danielle said, taking the phone out of Mick's hand. She hung up the phone and looked at Mick.

"I can't believe she woke up!" Beth said "This is amazing!"

Mick nodded and sighed. "Look's like we're going to a wedding!"

**_Here's a new chapter for you!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	29. Wedding Plans

"Do we know why the St. John family has gone to New York?" Gianni asked

"I don't know!" Eric said, annoyed "You better just be happy that I knew that St. John and his friends left the state! It wasn't easy to figure out, believe me!"

"From what Eric found out, Ana St. John left with Josef Kostan two days ago" Russo said, trying to piece everything together "Mick St. John, Beth Turner, Nikki Holden and Danielle Mariano left yesterday. Something must be happening in New York"

"That's what I just said, Russo!" exclaimed Gianni

"Do you think that maybe they went on vacation?" Eric said "This trip may have nothing to do with us"

"Yeah! Right!" Gianni said "They're going to take a vacation three days after Ana St. John was almost incinerated! That makes so much sense!"

"They could just be trying to relax again!" Eric shot back "I don't know what the hell you two were thinking, setting the school on fire like that! Ana is going to start, if she hasn't started already, piecing things together. She's going to figure out that the Vampire Mafia is after her! Especially if you pull stupid stunts like that!"

"I agree, Gianni" Russo said "I mean, fire was one thing, but welding the window lock shut so she couldn't get out? The boss said that he doesn't want her harmed!"

"Shut the hell up, both of you!"

Gianni let out a sigh and sat down in an empty chair.

"Eric, when the St. John family gets back from New York, find out why they went away" Gianni said "It might be important"

Eric nodded, but didn't say anything. A bolt of fear shot through his body. He didn't like the fact Gianni was calling the others the "St. John Family", almost as if they were part of the Mafia themselves.

&&&&&

Ana, though she was very happy for Josef and Sarah, was afraid of what was going to happen after their wedding. She wasn't worried about Josef and Sarah's relationship. Ana knew that that was going to survive. She was just worried about _them_.

Ana knew that Josef could handle himself. She just wasn't sure about Sarah, since Sarah had just been turned and all. Ana had not voiced her worries about Sarah coming back to L.A. to Josef. She didn't want him to worry or spoil his happy moments.

Ana knew that, as she had stated before, everyone she knew was in danger. She was almost tempted to "miss the plane" back to L.A. that way her loved ones wouldn't be in danger.

But, she knew that Mick would go out of his mind. She knew that he wouldn't be able to handle being away from her like that. She knew that he wouldn't be able to handle the idea of her living on her own, with no where safe to sleep.

"Ana?"

Ana, who had been staring out the window, turned to see Sarah standing in the doorway of the bedroom Ana had been sleeping in.

"Oh, hey" Ana said, smiling "What's up?"

"Josef's just left to pick up the others from the airport" Sarah said, walking into the room. Ana smiled as Sarah sat down next to her.

The day before, Ana, Sarah, and Josef had spent the day in the city. They went shopping, mainly for Sarah so she could get some new clothes, but Ana got a few things as well. Ana had helped Sarah find the perfect outfits. They had bonded very quickly.

Then, Josef had taken Sarah and Ana to see "Wicked", a play that Ana had been wanting to see for a very long time. Though she had put up a lot of protests, not wanting Josef to spend too much money on her, Ana had a lot of fun.

"Like your new clothes?" Ana asked, with a smile

Sarah nodded as she rubbed her hands on the pair of jeans she was wearing. "It'll take some getting used to, but, yeah. I like them"

"Good"

Sarah stared at Ana for a moment. "Are you ok?" she asked "You seem upset"

"I'm fine" Ana said, in a soft voice, turning back towards the window

"Josef told me about what was going on back in L.A." Sarah said "He told me why you came with him this time"

Ana turned to look at Sarah. "I'm worried, that's all"

"I know" Sarah said, almost in a motherly tone "You must be so scared"

"I'm not scared for myself" Ana said "I'm scared for you. For Josef, Beth, and Nikki. For my Dad and Danielle"

"You don't need to worry about us" Sarah said, knowing that she would meet everyone Ana had just mentioned, with the exception of Josef, shortly "We're going to be fine"

"You seem very confident for someone who just woke up from a 50 year long coma" Ana said, with a small smile

Sarah laughed. "Josef had prepared me for being a vampire 50 years ago" she said "And, by some miracle, I'm able to remember everything he told me"

"That's a plus"

Sarah looked at Ana for a moment. "Josef also told me about your mother…"

Ana turned back to the window for a moment and then turned back to Sarah.

"I'm so sorry" Sarah said "That must have been horrible"

"It was" Ana replied "But, everything is getting better"

Sarah smiled. She was amazed by the amount of bravery Ana had. Ana wasn't afraid for her own life, though the Mafia was after her. She only cared about what happened to her friends and family, even if she died in the process.

"Hello?" they heard Josef yell "We're back!"

Sarah smiled as Ana's face automatically brightened up.

"Shall we?" Sarah asked, motioning to the door

"We shall!" Ana replied

&&&&&

The group assembled at the bottom of the stairs waited eagerly for Ana and Sarah to make their entrance.

"So, Josef, when's the wedding?" Nikki asked, excitedly

"Tomorrow? The day after?" Josef said, with a shrug "As soon as possible"

"I never thought I would see this day" Mick said, jokingly and with a smile "Josef Kostan finally is settling down!"

Josef returned the smile. "So, when am I going to see your day?"

Mick quickly glanced at Beth, who was busy talking to Danielle and Nikki about wedding plans and who hadn't heard what he and Josef were talking about, "I don't know" he said, with a smile "Eventually"

"Dad!"

The entire group looked up at the top of the stairs and smiled when they saw Ana and Sarah.

Ana practically flew down the stairs and into Mick's open arms. It was almost like they hadn't seen each other in years, even though it had only been two days.

"Hey, Ana" Mick said, hugging his daughter "I missed you"

"I missed you too" Ana replied

Josef cleared his throat as Ana pulled away from Mick and said hi to the rest of her family and friends.

"It is my pleasure to introduce to you" Josef said, taking Sarah's hand "My fiancé. Sarah Whitley"

Sarah smiled as the group of Josef's friends introduced themselves. She found it easy to talk with them. She knew that she was going to get along with her new friends…no…her new _family_ easily.

&&&&&

It wasn't too long after the introductions that the girls headed off to plan the wedding. Josef had told them to spare no expense, since a vampire wedding didn't happen too often

"So, are you still going to be the same old Josef?" Mick asked, as he and Josef sat in the living room, drinking a couple of glasses of blood

"Of course" Josef replied "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you are getting married" Mick said "Things change"

"Well, you haven't changed since you met Beth" Josef said "Or since Ana came into the picture"

"You know what I mean, Josef"

Josef sighed. "Not to worry, Mick" he said "I'm not going to change. Sarah would kill me if I did"

Mick and Josef laughed.

"What about your freshies?" Mick asked "What are you going to do about getting blood?"

Josef sighed. "I may have to resort to getting my blood from Guillermo" he said "I don't think Sarah would like the idea of me still feeding off of freshies after we're married"

Mick let out a chuckle. "Yeah, I'm not thinking that she would"

"Josef!"

Mick and Josef turned when they heard Ana call Josef's name from the kitchen.

"What's up?" Josef asked, taking a sip of blood

"What do you think of having the wedding in Central Park?" Ana asked

"Central Park?" Josef asked "But what about…?"

"We could have it at dusk, when the sun is going down" Ana interrupted

Josef thought about it for a moment.

"Please, Josef!" Sarah said "Having our wedding at sunset would be perfect!"

"Alright!" Josef replied "We can have it in Central Park"

Mick and Josef chuckled at the small cheers that came from the kitchen.

"Thank you, Josef!" Ana said, smiling

"You just can't say no to them, can you?" Mick said, with a smile, shaking his head

Josef shrugged. "When you are as rich as I am, it doesn't really matter"

Mick laughed and took another sip of blood. "Good to know" he said "I'll remember that the next time I need a favor from you"

**_Here's a new chapter for you!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	30. The KostanWhitley Wedding

"They're there for a wedding" Russo said "Our allies in New York said that they saw Kostan, some woman, and Ana St. John shopping in the city. They went to at least two bridal boutiques. Then, the rest of the St. John family arrived at least a day or so later"

"A wedding?" Gianni said "Who's wedding? Why would they go to a wedding after Ana St. John was almost killed?"

"Apparently, its Kostan's wedding" Eric replied, crossing his arms "I guess that he had a girlfriend who's been in a coma for over 50 years. He tried to turn her, but accidentally put her into a coma. The day that Ana St. John and Kostan arrived in New York, his girlfriend made a 'miraculous recovery'. Now, the girlfriend is a vampire and is marrying Kostan"

"What do you mean by 'miraculous recovery'?" Gianni asked

"We believe that Ana St. John has some sort of healing capabilities" Russo replied "We believe that she can heal any disease, bring people back from the dead, and bring them out of comas"

"Amazing!" Gianni said, his eyes sparkling "The boss is going to love this!"

"Our allies in New York said that they will inform us on anything else that happens" Eric said

"Excellent!" Gianni said "Keep up the good work!"

Gianni smiled and left the room, most likely to go and tell the boss the new information. Russo patted Eric on the back and left the room. Eric stayed for a moment and slumped into the chair Gianni had been sitting in.

He didn't like having to tell the Mafia about Ana's whereabouts. It didn't feel right. He wished that Coraline had never adopted him. He wished that he could have just turned 18 in the orphanage and then went out into the world. He wished that Coraline had never found him.

Because if she never found him, he wouldn't have been sucked into the Vampire Mafia.

&&&&&

The day of Josef and Sarah's wedding was bright and sunny – not your ideal weather for vampires – but nice all the same. It was a good thing that Josef and Sarah decided to have their wedding at sunset – the sun was almost unbearable.

The priest had been called, the time had been set, the spot in Central Park had been picked out, and the tuxes and dresses had arrived on time. Everything was ready for the long awaited wedding.

"I'm so nervous" Sarah said, as Beth, Ana, Nikki, and Danielle helped her get ready

"Don't be" Beth said "Everything is going to be fine. You're finally marrying the man you love!"

Sarah laughed. "I know"

"You almost ready, ladies?" Mick asked from behind the closed door of Sarah's room "Josef and I are getting ready to head to Central Park"

"Don't worry" Danielle replied "We'll be there!"

Mick laughed. "Alright" he said "See you at Central Park!"

The girls chuckled as they heard Mick walk down the hallway.

"So, Beth" Sarah said, with a sly smile "How long have you and Mick been together?"

"Long enough for them to be married by now!" Ana said, giving Beth a playful glare

Beth smiled. "We've only been dating for a few months" she said "But, we've known each other for a while"

"So, what's the problem?" Nikki asked "Where's the ring?"

Beth laughed. "I'm sure that, if he wants to, Mick will ask when he's ready"

"'If he wants to'" Ana said, rolling her eyes "Come on!"

The girls laughed.

"Well" Beth sighed, as she placed the veil on Sarah's head "Miss. Whitley, would you like to see yourself in the mirror?"

Sarah smiled and nodded. She got up from her chair and walked over to the mirror that was sitting next to her bed. She gasped as the rest of the girls smiled.

She was dressed in a long, white wedding dress. The dress had no straps and the train was at least 3 feet long. Her short, reddish brown hair had been re-curled.

"I look…"

"Beautiful" Danielle finished for her.

"Now" Nikki said "Let's get you to your wedding!"

&&&&&

He watched as the limo pulled up to the entrance of Central Park. He ducked behind a tree as Josef Kostan and Mick St. John walked down the steps and headed towards where the priest was waiting for them.

Fumento Romano, who was part of the Romano Family of New York, watched as Josef Kostan and Mick St. John talked with the priest.

"I see them, Boss" Fumento said, in to a small walkie-talkie he was carrying "What now?"

"Just watch them, Fumento" "Boss" replied "We were asked to just watch, observe, and report back to L.A."

"Got it, Boss!" Fumento said, putting the walkie-talkie in his jacket pocket

He watched Mick, Josef, and priest for a few more moments when another limo pulled up to the entrance of Central Park.

"And now it gets interesting" he said, with a sly smile.

Fumento quickly picked up the camera he had brought with him and got ready to take some pictures, which would be sent back to L.A.

His job was too easy.

&&&&&

When they saw the limo pull up to the entrance of Central Park, Mick turned to Josef.

"This is it" Mick said, with a sigh "Josef Kostan's final moments of being a bachelor"

Josef smiled. "Yeah"

"Turning back?"

"Hell no!" Josef replied "I've waited for over 50 years for this moment. I'm not going back"

Mick smiled as he and Josef turned to watch the girls' process down to where they were standing.

The girls were dressed in strapless, sea-green bridesmaids' dresses, which came down to their ankles. All of the girls were wearing heels, though Ana's were the only ones with sparkles on them.

Nikki had her black hair pulled into a half-ponytail behind her head. She had straightened her hair, which was something Nikki rarely did because she usually needed someone to help her.

Danielle had left her dark, brown hair flowing down her shoulders. Her hair was naturally curly, so all Danielle had to do was comb her hair.

Mick's smile widened even more than it already had been when he saw Beth. Her hair had been curled and was flowing down her shoulders, like the way it had been when they went to the gym dedication at Hearst College when Josef thought that Sarah was gone forever.

Mick's mouth dropped open when he saw Ana. He had known that his daughter was beautiful – immensely beautiful – but he never knew how _gorgeous_ she looked when she had to dress up. It was amazing.

Ana had curled her normally somewhat straight dark, brown hair. It came down to just past her shoulders.

The bridesmaids all lined up opposite Mick and Josef in a diagonal line. Smiles were on all of their faces as Sarah made her way towards them.

Josef could not believe how beautiful Sarah looked in her white wedding dress. He had imagined his wedding to Sarah many times, imagining what it would have been like if Sarah hadn't fallen into the coma. And, now that it was actually happening, even Josef's dreams didn't give this moment justice.

"We're gathered here today…" the priest said, as Josef took Sarah's hand "To witness the marriage of these two people, Josef and Sarah, whose love has stood the test of time…"

Josef had asked the priest to specifically say that line. He felt that it was appropriate under the circumstances. He just didn't tell the priest the part about being a vampire.

"Josef, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the priest continued "To have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

"I do"

"Sarah, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

"I do"

"The rings?" the priest said, looking at Beth and Mick

Beth handed the ring to Sarah, and Mick handed the ring to Josef. The couple turned back to each other and slipped the rings on each other's fingers.

"I now pronounce you, man and wife!" the priest said, smiling "You may kiss the bride!"

Josef and Sarah smiled as they leaned in to kiss each other as man and wife for the first time. As they did this, the rest of the group smiled.

"May I present to you" the priest said "Mr. and Mrs. Josef Kostan!"

Even though Josef and Sarah had invited no one to their wedding, except for Mick, Beth, Ana, Nikki, and Danielle, the cheers they received made it sound like they had invited 40 people to their wedding.

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter for you!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	31. A History Lesson

Josef and Sarah had decided to vacation to New England for their honeymoon – a place where the sun didn't always shine and which was currently going through a rainy season.

Mick knew that it was too soon for Ana to go back to L.A. If the mafia was after her, Mick wanted to be sure that he knew as much as possible about this whole situation before having Ana go back. So, Danielle, Beth, and Nikki agreed to go back to L.A. and do some more investigating.

"You sure you'll be alright?" Mick asked, as he helped put Beth, Nikki and Danielle's luggage in the back of a taxi

"We'll be fine" Beth replied "We have Danielle. She'll protect us if need be"

"Do you really doubt my abilities, Mick?" Danielle asked, with a smile

Mick smiled back. "Of course not" he said "I just need to be sure of these things"

Danielle shook her head and smiled as she got into the cab beside Nikki, who had already said her goodbyes to Ana and everyone else.

"What are you and Ana going to do?" Beth asked, as Mick closed the trunk of the taxi

Mick shrugged. "Do some sightseeing. Go to some plays. Hang out until it's a little safer to come home"

Beth nodded. "See you back in L.A."

Mick leaned in and kissed his girlfriend. "Be careful"

Beth nodded and got into the cab. Mick watched as the cab drive off towards the airport. Then, he turned back to the house and went inside.

&&&&&

Mick had decided that he and Ana would check into a hotel. He didn't want Paula to have to worry about taking care of them. After taking care of Sarah for all those years, Mick knew that Paula needed a break.

So, Mick and Ana packed up their suitcases and headed for the Park Plaza Hotel, right in the center of New York City.

"I never thought that I would ever stay in a place like this" Ana said, as she and Mick walked into the lobby of the hotel "I never really considered myself being able to afford staying at a place like this"

Mick smiled. "I'm glad that you like it"

Ana smiled back. "Is there a reason for us staying in the lap of luxury?"

Mick shrugged. "I figured that we may not get back to New York for a while, so why not go all out?"

Ana smiled and nodded. "I like your thought process"

&&&&&

After Mick checked in at the front desk, and he and Ana headed up to the Plaza Suite – which had two bedrooms and two bathrooms, meaning that Ana wouldn't have to interrupt Mick's sleeping to go to the bathroom– Ana and Mick settled in for the night.

"So, I was thinking that tomorrow we'd explore the city" Mick said, sitting on what the couch "Maybe do some shopping?"

"Shopping?" Ana said, taking a seat next to him "Since when do you want to do shopping sprees?"

Mick shrugged. "Remember what I said about staying here?"

"Ah" Ana said, nodding "I see. We should go on vacation more often. I like this whole splurging business!"

&&&&&

The next day was sunny, but there were some white clouds dotting the sky. Not necessarily the best weather for vampires who wanted to explore the city, but what could you do?

Ana felt like she was in one of those shopping montages you would see in the movies. The ones where the girl would try on all kinds of outfits or accessories and the father would give his "ok" or "no way", which was exactly what Mick was doing.

Ana was even able to get Mick to try on some new clothes as well, having him go through the montage in movies where the father would try on stuff and the girl would give her "ok" or "no way", which was exactly what Ana was doing. Unlike most girls her age, Ana felt kind of uncomfortable being the only one trying stuff on, which was why she made Mick try stuff on.

Every time Ana or Mick would come out of the dressing room, they would strike a pose, like they were modeling. Mick, though it was unlike him to do something like that, liked making Ana laugh which, in turn, made himself laugh as well.

It was when they got to the "World of Disney" store that the laughs really started rolling.

Since it was getting close to Halloween, the store had all kinds of costumes for sale. So, Mick and Ana had a good time fooling around with some of the costume hats and props – be it pirate things or princess things.

Mick couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so much. Within the past day, he laughed more than he had in his entire vampire existence. He wasn't sure, but maybe Ana had some sort of power to make everyone happy, no matter what situation they were in, so all they could do was have fun.

He had been meaning to ask Ana if she did have any other special powers besides healing people from any disease known in the world. But, he didn't think it was the right time. He didn't want to ruin the happy moments they had before they went back to dangerous L.A.

&&&&&

After dropping Nikki off at her house, Beth and Danielle then preceded to Mick's apartment. They had decided that Mick's apartment would be the place where they would investigate the case and the whole Mafia problem because his apartment was bigger than Beth and Danielle's apartments combined.

"So, where do we start?" Danielle asked when she and Beth walked into the apartment "Go back to the school?"

"We could try there" Beth replied "But, by now the scene has been cleared and is probably being fixed"

"So, should we check out the boy?" Danielle asked "Eric?"

"Nikki's going to deal with that tomorrow" Beth replied, sitting down on the couch "She's going to invite Eric to a movie or something"

"So, what are we going to do?"

Beth sighed. "We are going to try and find out as much as possible on this Vampire Mafia"

"How?" Danielle asked "It's not like it would be online or anything"

Beth sighed again. "I can't believe I'm saying this" she said "But, we have to get Coraline over here"

Danielle chuckled. She knew all about Beth and Coraline's relationship, and Mick and Coraline's relationship for that matter.

"You're a martyr" Danielle said, jokingly "A true martyr"

Beth smiled and the two of them broke out into laughter.

&&&&&

"What do you mean?!" Gianni exclaimed "What do you mean she's still in New York?!"

"She and St. John stayed in New York" Russo replied "Kostan and his girlfriend – well, wife, I guess – are in New England and St. John's girlfriend and the other two arrived in L.A. this morning"

"This wasn't part of the plan!" exclaimed Gianni "Where's Eric? Get him in here!"

"He can't" Russo replied "He's getting ready to go out with Ana St. John's best friend"

"Why in all of God's name is he going out with her?"

"She invited him" Russo said, with a shrug "He probably thinks he can get some more information out of her about Ana St. John"

Gianni sighed. "Call New York. Tell Romano to keep his men watching St. John and his daughter"

"We could have Romano bring her back to L.A." Russo said "I mean, we don't know how long she's going to be away and we don't want to take any chances, do we?"

Gianni thought for a moment. "You have a point" he said "Alright. Call Romano and tell him to bring Ana St. John back to L.A., no matter what the cost"

&&&&&

Coraline had been surprised when she had gotten a call from Beth, asking for her help. She never thought that Beth would do something like that, so the phone call really perked her interests.

Beth had asked Coraline to find out as much as she could on the Vampire Mafia. Since she was apparently one of the only people who knew the violent history of the Vampire Mafia – or at least one of the only people who would talk about it – Coraline obliged.

"Ok" Danielle said, once Coraline had arrived at Mick's apartment "What were you able to find out?"

Coraline sighed. "A lot" she said "This may take awhile"

"Good thing we have time" Beth replied, trying not to sound too mean

"Ok" Coraline said "The Vampire Mafia began back in the 1800's in Italy, just like the human Mafia. Their purpose was pretty much the same – become unstoppable and control as much as possible. The only difference is that the vampires of the Vampire Mafia also used their power to get blood

"The Vampire Mafia became very powerful in the 1920's in America, when the human Mafia became 'popular' in America. While there are tons of human Mafia families, there had only been four Vampire ones which started back when the Mafia started, and that still exist today

"Three of the original Vampire Families are in the United States, and the other is still back in Italy. The ones that are in America are: the Romano Family of New York, the Benito Family of Boston, and the Carmine Family of Miami. The family back in Italy is the most powerful."

"Who is the family back in Italy?" Beth asked

Coraline took in a deep breath. "The Mariano Family"

Danielle's eyes bulged out of her head as Coraline and Beth turned to look at her. "You're kidding right?"

Coraline shook her head. "You come from a long, powerful family of vampires, Danielle" she said "I did some research. All of the men in your family had children before they were turned into vampires. All of the men were turned by their father once they produced an 'heir' or when they reached a certain age. Only a select few of the women were turned into vampires.

"Your grandfather had two sons before he became a vampire. Then, when the sons were old enough, your grandfather then turned them. But, before your father could be turned, he got your mother pregnant with you and Alina"

"So, you're telling me that my father is alive?" Danielle said, in shock "I never knew him. Alina and I were told that he died before we were born"

Coraline shook her head. "He died in a fire – a lot like your sister – 5 years ago"

Danielle could barely breathe.

"Danielle, do you need something?" Beth asked "A drink?"

"No" Danielle said "Go ahead. Continue"

Coraline was about to continue, when Beth stopped her.

"How did you find out this information?" she asked "You seem to know an awful lot"

"You have your guys, I have mine" Coraline replied, with a shrug

Beth nodded. "Alright" she said "Continue"

Coraline let out a sigh. "Now, other families have tried to come into big power" she said "But, they didn't survive. They died out, so to speak. The four original families have been the only ones to survive the centuries

"The Vampire Mafia was ruthless. They killed anyone that crossed their path, no matter if they were vampire or mortal. Their main business is extortion, you know, getting control of big business with a lot of money by force instead of compromise.

"The Vampire Mafia was thought to have died out back in the 1940's. The vampires that were not part of the Mafia thought that the Mafia was too dangerous and they thought that the Mafia would expose the Vampire Secret. So, they got rid of – or at least tried to get rid of – anyone involved in the Vampire Mafia. They thought that they had killed them, but, apparently, all of the members of the original families are healthy and well"

"Ok" Danielle said, still trying to come out of her shock "What do they want with Ana?"

Coraline paused for a moment. "The Mariano Family comes from a long line of Italian…royalty…so to speak" she said "Or, in the very least, they are part of the highest vampire class in Italy. Their family traces back until the very beginnings of the earth. If vampires lived in a monarchy, the Mariano Family would rule over us as our kings and queens. They are the Vampire Leaders, the ones who rule over all of the Vampires. The fact that they are one of the original Vampire Mafia Families is just a side-role that they have.

"Now, recently, the family found an old book from the Middle Ages. Inside, there was some sort of…prediction about a relative that would come years into the future, one that would defy the biggest law of being a vampire and be one of the most powerful – if not the most powerful – vampires in the history of the world."

She paused for a moment. "Ana matches the description of the relative from the prediction exactly"

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter for you!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	32. Making A Deal With The Mafia

"So, you're saying that Ana is some sort of Vampire Prodigy?" Beth asked

Coraline nodded. "All of the Vampire Mafia families, all of the vampires all over the world for that matter, know about this prediction or legend or whatever you'd call it" she said "They want her so they will have unlimited power"

"We have to tell Mick" Danielle said "He and Ana are still in New York. If the Family in New York finds out that Ana is there, she's in just as much danger as she is here!"

Coraline nodded. "Next to the Mariano Family, the Romano Family is one of the most powerful Vampire Mafia families" she said "If Mick and Ana get mixed up with them, they would be in a lot of danger"

Beth quickly grabbed her cell phone, put the speaker on, and dialed Mick's number.

"Mick, its Beth" she said, once he answered the phone "We need to talk"

&&&&&

"What?!"

Ana looked up from the magazine she was reading when she heard Mick practically yell into his cell phone. She caught his attention and told him to put it on speaker phone. Mick nodded.

"Beth, Ana's listening" Mick said "She can hear you"

"Oh" Beth said "Hey, Ana"

"What's going on, Beth?" Ana replied

"Listen, this isn't easy for me to say…"

"Don't worry" Ana said "I can take it"

"It looks like you were right" Beth replied "You are a target of the mob"

"Great!" Ana said, sarcastically "That's wonderful!"

"How would they be getting their information?" Mick asked "Did you guys find that out?"

"We're not sure" Beth said "But we think that's its still…you know who"

"Look" Danielle's voice now came through the phone "Ana, you have to be careful. You're part of some sort of prediction. A prediction saying that you would be one of the most powerful vampires in the history of the world. There are Mafia families all over the country – Miami, Boston, L.A., and New York. You have to get out of there!"

"New York?" Mick said "You mean that we're in danger here?"

"Yes" Beth said "I suggest getting out of there as soon as you can"

"And call Josef and Sarah!" Danielle said "Get them out of Boston!"

"I'll do that" Ana said.

Mick nodded and shut of the speaker on his phone. While Mick was on the phone with Danielle and Beth – and maybe Coraline, though Ana wasn't sure – Ana called Josef and Sarah.

"Ana!" Josef said, when he answered the phone "What's up?"

"Hey, Josef" Ana replied "Sorry to bother you"

"You're not bothering us" Josef said "Don't worry"

"Good" Ana replied "Listen, I have something I need to talk to you about"

"Is everything ok?"

"Not really" Ana said "Dad's on the phone with Beth, Danielle, and I think Coraline now"

Ana went onto explain everything to Josef. She told him about the families, their locations, and about the prediction.

Josef sighed. "Looks like we're going to have to form our own Family"

"What?" Ana said "Why?"

"So we can fight them" Josef replied "And then make sure that they don't ever do this again"

"Can't we just get rid of them?"

"It doesn't look like that will ever happen" Josef said "But, we'll try"

"The one good Mafia Family" Ana said, with a chuckle

"Don't worry, Ana" Josef said, chuckling "We'll be careful. Thanks for letting us know"

"No problem" Ana replied "See you later. Tell Sarah I said hi"

Ana hung up the phone. She sighed. Mick was still on the phone with Beth and Danielle. Ana told him that she was going for a walk around the hotel. Mick shook his head, but Ana promised that she'd be careful. After thinking for a moment, Mick nodded and Ana left the room.

&&&&&

Ana was humming to herself as she walked through the lobby of the hotel. So many things were racing through her mind, which was understandable if you had the Mafia after you.

Ana couldn't help but notice two men following her. Two vampires to be exact. Ana tried to walk faster through the hotel's lobby, but there were too many people in her way. Of course, in the process of trying to lose the two vampires following her, Ana ran into someone.

"Anastasia St. John" said the old man she had bumped into "It's a pleasure to meet you"

It took Ana a moment to realize who this old man was.

"Signor Romano" Ana replied, in a shaky voice "What a pleasure it is to meet you"

&&&&&

Ana was taken to a secluded room of the hotel, one that hardly anyone went to.

"We have much to discuss" Signor Romano said

"Oh?" Ana said "What about?"

"You" Signor Romano replied "The vampire of all vampires! The 'Vampire Princess' if you will"

"Look" Ana said, suddenly getting a huge boost of courage "I know about the prediction. I know how 'royal' my family is. But, I don't want anymore killings or violence. I want to make a deal with you"

"A deal? Like what?"

"There is a family in L.A. that is threatening to expose our secret, not in their words, but in their actions." Ana explained "Two humans are dead because of them and they didn't even bother on making sure that the evidence didn't point to vampires."

Romano nodded, listening.

"A new family is going to be formed" Ana said, not even knowing if what Josef said was actually going to happen "And I'm going to be in it, alongside my father and friends. We are going to go up against the family in L.A. and then, after this whole situation is done, make sure that the Mafia 'behaves', so to speak, and doesn't get out of control or do anything like this ever again. We're going to be the Vampire Protectors, if you will, protecting vampires and humans from the Mafia or anything else that would be dangerous to us"

"Where do I come in?" Romano asked "Why would I allow you to be able to control what I do?"

"I want you to become an ally" Ana said, not even sure where this confidence or smarts about making deals with the Mafia was coming from "I want you to work with us to make sure that the Mafia stays in its place and doesn't go overboard. Because, eventually, the Mafia families will go to war with each other. It will happen eventually. It's inevitable. It happens in all the movies"

This statement made Romano laugh.

"With me and my Family on your side, you will most likely win" Ana continued "Now, I don't know much about how the Mafia operates, be it human or vampire. But, if all of the families work together, we might be able to find peace between all of us and there won't be any wars or any one family becoming more powerful than the others. We can work together to ensure that the Vampire Community all over the world is safe"

Romano stared at Ana for a moment. "You remind me of your grandfather" he said "Very convincing"

"Can I take that as a 'yes'?" Ana asked, with a smile

Romano nodded. "We have a deal"

Ana smiled as she shook Romano's hand.

"Fumento!" Romano yelled "Fumento, get in here!"

Ana turned as the door opened and the man named Fumento came inside.

"Boss?"

"Cancel all plans on getting Anastasia back to L.A." Romano said "And, burn the pictures and the negatives taken at the Kostan Wedding"

"But, boss…"

"Do it!" Romano said, more fiercely

Fumento nodded and headed back to the hotel's lobby. Romano turned back to Ana, who was staring at him with big eyes.

"What?" he said, with a shrug of the shoulders "Before our deal, you were just another way to become powerful and get more money"

Ana smiled and shook her head. "Then, I'm glad that we have a deal" she said "Can any of your men still come to L.A. so they can let you know when we need you?"

"Sounds like a good idea" Romano said "I'll send them tomorrow"

Ana nodded and stood up from the chair Romano had her sit in. "Am I allowed to go back up to my room now?"

Romano laughed. "Of course"

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter for you!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	33. Don Anastasia

"You what?!"

"I sort of made a deal with the head of the Romano Family" Ana said, responding to Mick's shock "He's our ally now"

"How did you-? Why did you-?" Mick couldn't even bring himself to speak full sentences.

"Ana!" Beth said "Explain from the beginning"

When Ana had gotten back to the room, Mick was still on the phone. So, now, the phone was back on speaker phone and Danielle, Beth, and Coraline could now hear everything being said.

Ana sighed. "Josef said that we would probably need to make our own Family" she said "So, I used that knowledge to get us an ally to fight against the Mafia back in L.A."

Ana explained everything to Mick and the others as Mick paced back and forth across the room.

"Isn't this a good thing?" Coraline asked. Ana smiled a small smile now that she knew her father's ex-wife actually _was_ on the other line.

"I think it is" Ana replied "But, Dad's still in shock"

"Mick!" Danielle yelled "Mick!"

"This could work" Mick said "This could work"

"What?" Beth said "What are we talking about?"

"I think he's trying to convince himself that what I did was a good thing and not something that put me in even more danger" Ana said

"You said that the Romano family is the second highest in power, right?" Mick asked

"That's right" Coraline replied "What's your point?"

"That means that they have stronger connections to the family in Italy, right?"

"No, Mick!" Coraline said "Don't bring the Mariano's into this!"

"Why not?" Danielle asked, almost offended "I'm sure that they would help us"

"They would have to" Beth said "To keep order amongst the Families"

"Remember what I said about the Mariano's being our leaders?" Coraline asked "They don't like being bothered unless absolutely necessary. They have too much to worry about"

"So, what do you want us to do?" Mick asked, angrily "Wait until things get really, really bad? Wait until the whole human world knows about us?"

"Stop!" Ana yelled "The Mariano's may be the Vampire Royal Family or Leaders or whatever the hell they are, but they are still my family. My flesh and blood. They won't be able to deny me or Aunt Danielle for that matter!"

"And!" Danielle added "Once they find out that Alina was killed by the Family in L.A., they'll come and help us with full force! They'd have to, right?"

Ana was glad that she had told everyone her suspicions about the Mafia being the cause of the fires at her home and school. It had gotten everybody's mind working and they were beginning to piece things together very quickly.

"It wouldn't hurt to ask, would it?" Mick said "Even if it takes them a little while to get here, I'm sure that we can handle the situation until then"

"We can try" Coraline said, with a sigh "I guess it wouldn't hurt"

"Good" Ana said "I'll send them a message through the Romano Family, making sure that they know about me and Aunt Danielle"

"Ana and I will stay in New York for a little while longer" Mick said "Just until we get a reply from Italy"

"I wouldn't do that" Coraline said "It might be a while before the Mariano Family can reply. Like I said, they are very busy"

Mick sighed. "Fine" he said "We'll come back soon. We need to make sure that we can hold up until we can get help"

"Signor Romano already told me that he will send some of his men to L.A. so they can tell him when the Family needs to help us" Ana said "So, we have them behind us as well"

"What about the other families?" Beth asked "Can we ask them to help?"

"I can have Romano make some calls" Ana said. She went on to explain her deal with Romano in its entirety.

"Wow" Danielle said, after Ana was done "That's amazing!"

"How were you able to make that kind of deal?" Coraline asked "That's ingenious!"

"I don't know" Ana replied "The instinct just kind of came to me. Maybe it has to do with me being Vampire Princess"

"'Vampire Princess'?" Mick said, with a smile "Since when are you Vampire Princess?"

"That's what Romano called me" Ana replied, with a smile

"She's right, Mick" Coraline said "That's what the relative was called in the prediction"

Mick chuckled. "Well, forgive me, your highness!"

"Don't start that!" Ana said "That just sounds weird!"

Mick laughed. "Alright" he said "So, do we have a plan? Ana will send out a message and then she and I will come home and we can take it from there?"

"Sounds good to me" Beth said

"Alright" Mick said "We'll see you guys back in L.A."

Mick hung up the phone and looked at his daughter.

"This just keeps getting better and better" Ana said, with a smile, as she started writing the message to the Mariano Family on a piece of paper.

"Oh yeah" Mick said, sitting down on the couch "Hey, I wonder what Nikki's been up to"

"Yeah" Ana said "I haven't called her yet. She's probably going to kill me when we get back"

&&&&&

Nikki had actually been very busy since Ana had left L.A. She had been busy trying to get more information out of Eric. But, Eric couldn't stop asking about Ana.

They had gone out for dinner one night. Nikki had asked Eric various questions, but he ignored all of them and asked his own, which Nikki tried not to answer. It turned out to be a very awkward conversation.

Then, Eric had invited Nikki to go to the mall with him. She agreed, knowing that she still needed to get information out of Eric as to whether or not he had anything to do with the fire or the Vampire Mafia. She wasn't expecting him to come right out and say it. She was hoping that he would slip up somewhere.

But, he didn't.

She had been excited when Beth had called and told her about the history of the Vampire Mafia, the prediction, and the plan. She had been especially excited when she heard that Ana was finally coming back. She really missed Ana and was tired of trying to get information out of Eric by herself.

&&&&&

Signor Romano had sent two of his men to pick Mick and Ana up at their hotel the day that they were scheduled to leave New York to head back to L.A. He had also agreed to get Ana's message to the Mariano Family as soon as possible and to let her know as soon as they got a reply back.

Ana couldn't help but smile at the two men sitting a few rows back from her and Mick on the plane. They were your average, stereotypical Mafia guards. They sat up very straight, had serious looks on their faces, were wearing black fedoras, and studied everyone who walked by them.

"They're not going to be following us everywhere, are they?" Mick asked, pretending to read a magazine

"They shouldn't" Ana replied "I asked Signor Romano to send them so I would be able to contact him when we need him. They gave me their cell phone numbers for when I need to contact Romano. They're actually very nice, despite what they look like"

"Do you know their names?"

"Will and Ben" Ana replied "Not very Italian first names, I know, but they're part of the Romano family all the same"

"Well, as long as they don't follow us around, I'm glad that they are here" Mick said "We definitely need that contact"

"So" Ana said, turning towards Mick "Are Josef and Sarah coming back soon?"

"Last I heard, they got back yesterday" Mick replied "And Josef is already organizing our Family"

"It's too bad we missed Halloween in L.A." Ana said "I would have loved to have seen what vampires do on Halloween"

"Well, what have you been doing on Halloween?" Mick asked, with a smile

"Nothing really" Ana replied "My mother would always keep me in on Halloween night, since there was no point in me going trick or treating. When I got older, I went to costume parties, but not with other vampires"

"Well, usually" Mick said "Josef has a huge Halloween party, getting all or most of the vampires in L.A. together to have some fun. He even invites a few of his freshies as one of his many forms of liquid refreshments. He plays Halloween music and turns his mansion into a very scary haunted house to keep away any trick or treater's."

"Sounds like fun" Ana said, with a smile "I guess I'll have to wait until next year to see how fun it really is"

&&&&&

There had been a note left at the St. John apartment telling Mick and Ana that, as soon as they got back, to go to Josef's mansion for a very important meeting.

"Do you know anything about this?" Ana asked, as they let themselves into the mansion

"I have no clue" Mick replied "No one called or anything"

"Good!" they heard Beth exclaim "You're here!"

"Mind telling us what we're here for?" Mick asked, as he and Ana walked toward their friends, who were in the living room of Josef's mansion "Your note was very vague"

"Josef didn't want us to tell you anything until you got here" Nikki replied "He didn't want you to do anything drastic"

"Drastic?" Ana repeated "Great! How are they going to attack this time?"

"It's not the matter of another attack" Sarah said "It's a matter of who is ordering the attacks"

Ana looked at Danielle "Is it…?"

"Lance? Yes" Josef said, walking into the living room, with Ryder close behind him "That's why we need to take action immediately"

"Lance?!" exclaimed Mick "Why would Lance want Ana? How did he become part of the Mafia? Why did -?"

"Hold up, Mick" Josef said "Questions will be answered momentarily. Just sit down and relax for a minute"

Mick took a seat next to Beth, while Ana sat down next to Danielle.

"Now, while Ryder did contribute to this important information," Josef said "Coraline gave us most of this information"

"Then how do we know if it's the truth?" Mick asked

"Because she gave us evidence" Josef replied, turning to Ryder.

"Coraline sent me these pictures" Ryder said, giving everyone in the room a picture "She took them last week, after she caught Eric sneaking out again. She followed him with her camera, without him knowing"

"Oh my God!" Beth exclaimed "He _is_ involved in the Mafia!"

Ryder nodded. "Coraline said that she's not sure about the specific reason why they are after Ana" he continued "But, she thinks that it has something to do with the bloodline"

"As most of you know" Josef said "Lance is obsessed with his bloodline. Any chance he gets to make it stronger, he'll take it"

"We think that he's trying to overrule the Mariano Family" Ryder said "We think that he's trying to become the Vampire Leader"

"So, what's our next step?" Sarah asked "How do we move on from here?"

"I can have our contacts to the Romano family send them a message" Ana said "I can have Signor Romano send some more men here until the message from the Mariano Family gets here"

"That will help" Josef replied "But, we also have formed our own family. The St. John Family"

"And why isn't it the Kostan Family?" Mick asked

"Because Ana is going to be our main leader" Josef replied, with a quick smile to Ana

"She's going to what?!"

"She's going to lead the family" Josef replied "If she can make a deal with the second most powerful Vampire Mafia family in existence, she deserves leadership status!"

"Go Ana!" exclaimed Nikki, giving her friend a high-five

"Now, while there is a message being sent to the Romano Family" Ryder said "The St. John Family will meet here for an important meeting. A meeting on how to proceed"

"Please tell me that includes us" Danielle said "Because there is no way in hell that I am going to be left out"

"That goes for the rest of us" Beth said, looking at Nikki and Sarah for a confirmation "We want to be a part of this"

"Beth!" Mick said, in a hushed tone "It's too dangerous"

"If Ana can be leader, I think that we can help" Beth said "Speaking of which, it's actually Ana's decision."

All eyes fell on Ana. "Jeez, guys! Really?" Ana said "You're going to make me choose?"

No one responded. Ana sighed.

"Beth, Sarah, Danielle, and Nikki are part of the Family" she said, refusing to look at Mick and Josef "We need all the help we can get"

Ana slowly looked up at Josef, who was trying to hide a smile, and Mick, who looked mad but didn't look as if he was about to kill her.

"Excellent!" Josef said "So, meet here tomorrow morning as early as you can. We need to plan"

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter for you!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	34. Kidnapped!

After having Will and Ben send a message to the Romano Family early the next morning, Ana and Nikki headed over to Josef's mansion, hoping that they didn't miss too much of the meeting.

When they got there, the mansion was empty. Not even Ryder was there. Ana and Nikki found a note taped to the back of the front door.

_Ana and Nikki, headed to Mick's place. Meet you there._

_Josef and Sarah_

"What the heck?" Ana said, after she and Nikki read the note

"Maybe they moved the meeting place" Nikki said "Come on. Let's go"

When they got to the St. John apartment, they found another note tapped to the back of the front door.

_Ana and Nikki, don't forget to go to Josef's mansion for the meeting._

_Mick, Danielle, and Beth_

"Ok!" exclaimed Ana "Something's wrong!"

&&&&&

"I don't get it" Nikki said "Your Dad said that he was going to Josef's, but Josef said that he was going to be here"

"I know" Ana replied, pacing back and forth across the living room "That's the problem"

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Ana walked over to the door and looked into the monitor. There were two men standing outside the door, waiting to be let in.

Ana sniffed the air and realized that there was going to be trouble. The two men started banging on the door, no doubt sensing that Ana was near. Ana ran back to Nikki, grabbed her arm and pulled her behind the couch.

"Ana! What are you doing?"

"There are two vampires I don't know trying to get in!" Ana replied "I'm trying to come up with a plan!"

"Holy crap! Holy crap!" Nikki said, breathing heavily "What are we going to do?"

Just then, Ana and Nikki heard the door burst open.

"Nikki! Get upstairs!" Ana yelled as the two vampires broke the door down "Get to the balcony!"

"But, Ana…"

"Just do it!"

Nikki nodded and ran up the stairs. Ana quickly went into Vampire Mode and stood up behind the couch, in clear view of the two vampires.

"Funny" she said "I don't remember letting you in!"

"You Anastasia St. John?" one of the vampires asked

"What are you dumb or something?"

"You're coming with us!" exclaimed the other vampire

"You want to bet?"

Ana lunged at the two vampires, catching them off guard and pinning them to the ground. The two vampires went into Vampire Mode and tried to break free of Ana's grasp, but she was stronger than they were.

"Now that I have you at a disadvantage…" Ana said "Where's my family?"

"What makes you think we have them?" one of the vampires asked

"Hmm…" Ana said "They go missing. You show up to kidnap me. It's really not that hard to figure out!"

The two vampires looked at each other and back at Ana. They brought their legs up and kicked her off of them. Ana slid across the floor and crashed into a lamp.

Head bleeding, Ana quickly stood up and faced her attackers. The two vampires eyed her carefully.

With nothing else coming to mind, Ana decided to use the oldest trick in the book.

"What's that?"

The two vampires turned to look at what Ana was pointing at. While they were distracted, Ana ran up the stairs to the balcony.

When she got to the outdoor balcony and saw Nikki patiently waiting for her, Ana knew she had to do something drastic. Something that was dangerous, but was the only way for them to escape.

"Nikki, grab onto me!" Ana said, running over to her best friend

"What?!"

"Just do it!" Ana commanded, as she heard the two vampires run up the stairs.

Nikki reluctantly grabbed onto Ana, putting her arm around Ana's waist. Ana held onto Nikki and jumped up and off the balcony. Nikki screamed as the two girls plummeted to the ground below.

The two vampires watched as Ana and Nikki fell to the ground. They ran back into the apartment, determined to catch the two girls, not even realizing that it would have been easier to catch the girls by jumping off of the balcony.

Ana landed on her feet and led a very shaky Nikki to her car.

"Are you ok?" Ana asked, once she and Nikki were in Nikki's car

"Oh yeah!" Nikki said, sarcastically, as she turned her car on and sped out onto the street "I'm great!"

"We need to get to my friend, David's, house" Ana said "He'll help us track down my family"

David West was one of Ana's closest friends. He was a vampire who looked 17, but was actually 21. Ana knew that, before going to Logan, she needed some more people on her side, who would fight with her if need be, before searching for her family.

Nikki nodded and proceeded down the street, waiting for Ana to direct her to David's house.

&&&&&

It was very dark. The air smelled musty, like the smell of an old attic or cellar. The room was small – they could barely fit in it without sitting on one another. They didn't even know who had taken them. All of them had been hit over the head from behind when they were taken.

Mick, Beth, Josef, Sarah, and Danielle had been tied up and thrown into the small room. They had been tied up with something that even vampires couldn't break. What it actually was no one was sure. To make it worse, Mick, Sarah, Josef, and Danielle had been blindfolded so no Night Vision could be used to help them form plans of escape.

"Beth!" exclaimed Mick "Can you see anything?"

"It's too dark" Beth replied "I can't see a thing!"

"Great!" exclaimed Sarah "Now what?"

Just then, the door to the small room opened. Mick and Josef let out a few grunts when something fell on top of them.

"This should teach you a lesson, sister!" exclaimed a familiar voice "Never go behind my back!"

"Lance!" exclaimed Danielle "You bastard! Let us go!"

"Danielle Mariano" Lance said, with an evil smile "Nice to see you too!"

"You're never going to get away with this!" exclaimed Coraline, who had been blindfolded and thrown in with the group "She'll find you! She'll find you and kill you! And, Eric will probably help her!"

"Eric is under my control!" Lance shot back "I control what he does now! But, your confidence in Anastasia is amazing, considering who she is. That is, of course, why I have to get her before she has a chance to try and kill me"

"Lance, I swear, if you harm a hair on her head, I'll kill you myself!" Mick said, struggling against his restraints

Lance laughed. "That's funny" he said "That will keep me amused after you're dead!"

Lance was still laughing as the door closed.

"What is he planning, Coraline?" Josef asked "What does Ana have to go up against?"

Coraline was silent for a moment. "Ana's in more danger than she was before" she replied "If she doesn't do what Lance says, he'll kill her and us"

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter for you!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	35. Divine Inspiration

"Ana!" exclaimed David West, when he saw Ana and Nikki walk up his driveway "Long time, no see!"

"Hey, David" Ana replied, hugging her friend "How have you been?"

"Not bad" David replied, pulling away from her "You?"

"Same" Ana replied. She turned to Nikki. "This is my friend, Nikki"

"Ah!" David said, turning to Nikki "Nice to meet you!"

"Likewise" Nikki replied, shaking his hand "Are you a vampire too?"

David laughed. "Have been for 3 years"

"So you're really 21?"

David nodded. "That I am"

"Listen, David" Ana said "We need your help"

"What's wrong?" David asked, crossing his arms

Ana was about to answer when a car sped down the street, stopped suddenly, and backed up in front of David's house.

"Damn!" exclaimed Ana "How the hell did they find us?"

Ana, Nikki, and David ran into the house and out the back door, with the two vampires from the apartment close behind. Once they got out the back door, they ran through the backyard and back out to Nikki's car.

"Nikki!" exclaimed Ana "Give me your keys!"

Nikki tossed her car keys to Ana as the trio got into the car.

"Good job, Ana!" exclaimed David, once the trio was in the car "You're a target of the Vampire Mob!"

"How the hell did they find us?" Nikki demanded

"God only knows" Ana replied "We're going to have to take a lot of back roads. We have to lose them. David, call Logan. Tell him we're coming over"

"Mind telling me what's going on?" David asked, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket

"I will once we get to Logan's" Ana replied "But, I'll give you this much. You are looking at the Vampire Princess"

Silence was the response. Ana looked at David through her mirror. "That's probably why the Mafia is after me"

"You know, I didn't even think of that prediction when I met you" David said "I knew that you were special, that you were the only one of us who has never had the human experience, but the prediction never came to mind!"

"Yeah, well, get used to the idea" Ana said, with a smile "Because, apparently, that's what I am and I'm never going to change it!"

&&&&&

"There's got to be something we can do!" exclaimed Sarah "We can't just sit here!"

"We don't really have a choice" Danielle replied "We've been tied up and blindfolded. Even with our strength, we can't break these restraints! All we can do is sit here and wait"

"What if Ana can't find us?" Coraline asked

"You were just threatening Lance with the fact that Ana would be able to find us!" Mick said "What's with this sudden change?"

"There is no change" Coraline replied "I'm just saying that it might take Ana awhile to track us down. We are all the way on the outskirts of L.A., in an old warehouse. It might take her a while to find us in a place like this"

"Ana's probably going to go to Logan or Ryder" Josef said "She's not stupid. She knows that she won't be able to find us without their help"

"What about the Romano Family?" Beth asked "Won't they be able to help?"

"If I know Ana" Mick began "She's probably with Logan right now, trying to find out where we are. She's probably not even thinking about the Romano Family. She's too focused on getting us back as soon as possible"

"Let's just pray that Ana finds us before Lance finds her" Coraline said "She's our only hope"

&&&&&

"What do you mean they were kidnapped?" Logan exclaimed, when Ana, Nikki, and David arrived at his house

"Didn't David go over this with you on the phone?" Ana asked "I could have sworn that I heard him go over this with you"

"That doesn't mean that I understand!" Logan replied "Kidnapped?"

Ana nodded. "There was a note at Josef's mansion saying to meet him and Sarah at my house and there was a note at my house saying to meet Mick, Beth, and Danielle at Josef's mansion" she replied "No one was at either place. Sounds like kidnapping to me!"

"Do you have any suspects?" Logan asked, sitting down at his computer

"Yeah" Nikki replied "Lance"

Logan looked up at Nikki "Really?" he asked "Lance?"

"Lance has been a suspect in the back of our minds for a while" Ana replied "He's been our suspect in the two park murders, my mother's murder, and the attack on our school"

"What about Eric?" Logan asked

"I'm leaning more towards Lance is using him" Ana said "I think that Eric is Lance's pawn"

"Any particular reason why?" David asked

"Yeah" Nikki said "I thought that you didn't believe him when he told you that he _accidentally_ broke into Beth's apartment?"

"I think that he's lying and doing the things he's doing for a reason" Ana said "I just don't think he has it in him to be evil. It's just a gut feeling"

"So, is Lance in town?" David asked "Is he in L.A.?"

"Looks like it" Logan replied "Looks like he's been in L.A. since July"

Ana clenched her fists, though no one saw. _So_, she thought, _Lance was the one who killed my mother! Why else would he come to L.A.?_

"What has he been doing?" Nikki asked

"Let's see…" Logan said, reading what it said on his computer "Um…looks like bad stuff"

"What kind of bad stuff?" Ana asked

"I was able to get some fingerprint sketches from the police archives" Logan said "They found some unidentifiable fingerprints on both of the murder victims"

"Let me guess" David said "They're Lance's"

Logan nodded. "I have records, on my computer, of all of the vampires in L.A." he said "The fingerprints from the police match Lance's"

"Great!" Ana said "So, we solved the murders! Now, we just have to figure out where the hell he is"

"That's the problem" Logan said, typing something into the computer "I can't figure that out."

"Goddamit!" Ana yelled

Ana turned and stormed up the stairs.

"Ana!" Nikki yelled "Ana, where are you going?!"

Ana ignored Nikki and slammed the door behind her as she left Logan's apartment.

"Should we go after her?" Nikki asked, turning to Logan and David

"No" David replied, not taking his eyes off of the door at the top of the stairs "Let her vent for a little while"

&&&&&

By the time she got outside, Ana was fighting back tears.

How could this be happening? What had she done to deserve this? Why was her family and friends being taken away from her? Was this the price she had to pay for being born? Was this what the Vampire Princess had to deal with, losing everything she loved?

Ana sat up against a nearby tree, staring up to the heavens. Tears now blurred her vision, but she didn't care.

"Help me" she said, to the sky "Please. Help me. I don't know what to do. I don't know where my family is being held! Tell me! Please! I need them back!"

She paused for a moment, to try and control herself. "Mom!" she said, practically screaming "Please! Help me! Help me find your killer, before he kills again! Please! You're my guardian angel! You're supposed to help me!"

Tears were now streaming down her face, making water marks on her clothes. Ana wiped the tears out of her eyes and off of her face. When she looked up, Ana realized something.

"Thanks, Mom!" she said, smiling to the skies "Thank you!"

Ana got up and ran back into the apartment building.

&&&&&

Eric was whistling as he walked down the halls of the warehouse. He didn't know what he was whistling about. He figured he was doing it to break the eerie silence.

Eric stopped suddenly when he heard voices coming out of one of the rooms. Confused, he walked towards the voices. He immediately recognized them.

"No!" he said, under his breath "He didn't! He couldn't!"

Eric listened some more. His eyes widened when his fears were confirmed.

"He has crossed the line!" Eric said, walking away from the room, trying to think of what to do "Shit! What do I do now?"

"Eric!" came a voice from inside the room "Eric, is that you?"

"Mom?" Eric said, hurrying back over to the room, "Mom, it's me!"

"Thank God!" exclaimed Coraline "Eric, you have to get us out of here!"

"I can't!" Eric replied "I don't have a key!"

"Break the lock open!" exclaimed Josef

"I can't!" Eric said "Lance will kill me if he finds out I let you out"

"Eric, call Ana" Mick said "Tell her exactly where we are. Then, go about your business as if you never found us"

"What?" Eric said

"Trust me" Mick said "Call Ana"

"Alright" Eric said "Hang tight. You'll be out of there soon"

Eric pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Ana's number, praying that she would answer.

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter for you!!_**

**_I hope you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	36. Found

"Logan!" Ana yelled, running down the stairs, startling everyone "I've got it! I've got it!"

"Got what?" Logan asked "What do you have?"

"Try searching and see if there are any old warehouses or any other abandoned buildings around here" Ana said "Lance could be hiding out there, out of the public eye"

"Genius!" exclaimed David "How did you come up with that?"

Ana smiled a small smile. "Divine Revelation"

"There is!" exclaimed Logan "There's an old warehouse about 20 miles away from here, on the outskirts of L.A.!"

"Yes!" exclaimed Nikki "We have it! We have a lead!"

"Ok" David said "What's our next step? We can't just go in there. We have to have a plan"

"Alright" Ana said, starting to pace across the small room "A plan. We need a plan"

Just then, Ana's cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and a confused expression came over her face when she realized it was Eric.

"Eric?" Ana said "What's up?"

"Ana, I know where your family and friends are" Eric said, getting right to the point

"What?" Ana said, motioning for David, Nikki, and Logan to find a pen and a piece of paper "Where?"

"They're at the old abandoned warehouse on Kelling Street" Eric replied "You have to get here as quickly as possible"

"Wait!" Ana said, as she finished writing the information on the paper David had given her "I know that you are involved in the Vampire Mafia. Why are you helping me?"

"Because I don't want to be in the Mafia" Eric replied "Lance threatened me. He told me that he would kill Coraline if I didn't join. He has Coraline tied up with your family. I don't know what he's planning, but I'm sure that it will end with death!"

"Alright" Ana said "Eric, take a deep breath. We're on our way. Now, act like you didn't call me and you didn't find the others, ok? We can't let Lance know that we know"

"I know" Eric said "Your father already told me that"

Ana smiled. "See you soon" she said "Thank you"

"Don't mention it" Eric replied.

Ana hung up the phone and turned to her friends. "I was right" she said "Lance was blackmailing Eric, threatening to kill Coraline if he didn't join the Mafia"

"So, is he on our side now?" Nikki asked

Ana nodded. "Yeah" she said "I guess he is"

&&&&&

"Alright" Eric said, rushing back over to the room that everyone was being kept in "I called her. She's on her way"

"Good" Mick replied "Now, just go about your business. Act like we're not here"

"We'll have Ana call you once we get out of here" Danielle said "So you'll know that we made it out alright"

"Alright" Eric replied "Good luck, guys"

Eric headed away from the room and back down the hall, to where Lance was waiting for him.

&&&&&

"Are you sure you don't want me to come?" Logan asked, as the trio prepared themselves to leave "Don't you need backup?"

"Thanks for the offer, Logan" Ana replied "But we need you here in case your computer hacking services are needed"

"You will tell me all about what happens, right?" Logan asked

"Of course" David replied "You're part of the Family, aren't you?"

A confused expression spread over Logan's face. "Family?" he said "You mean…?"

"Ana's the head of the St. John Family" Nikki said, excitedly "She's already made an alliance with the Romano Family of New York"

Logan almost gagged. "You're the head of a Mafia family?" he said "You are friends with the Romano's?"

Ana smiled. "Yeah" she said "You want to be in my Family? You can be our head tech guy"

"Hell yes!" exclaimed Logan "This is awesome!"

Ana laughed. "Bye Logan" she said "Don't forget to standby!"

"Don't worry, Ana" he replied "I'll be here!"

&&&&&

"I think you just made his day" David said, with a smile, as the three drove through L.A. "I don't think I've ever seen him like this before"

"That's Logan for you" Ana said, who was driving Nikki's car, in case a car chase popped up out of nowhere "He can probably take any situation and make it seem exciting"

"What? This isn't exciting for you?" Nikki asked "Is being a vampire really this exciting on a daily basis?"

David chuckled. "I have to admit" he said "This is the first exciting thing that's happened in a while"

Ana nodded. "Definitely" she said "And to think that it will probably never end makes this whole thing even more interesting"

"So, do we have a plan for when we get to the warehouse?" Nikki asked "Or do we just walk in like we're not doing anything suspicious?"

"I have a feeling that this is going to be very James Bond like" Ana said "You know, sneaking around, hiding in the shadows, that sort of thing"

"So, you don't have a plan?" David said, almost with a smile

"Not yet" Ana said, as she turned a corner onto the street the warehouse was on "I won't really have a plan until I see what we have up against us"

"Is this it?" Nikki asked, causing Ana to slow down "This place looks pretty abandoned"

In front of them was an old, white building. The paint on the walls was chipping, revealing the brick underneath. There were only a few windows, but they were small, which meant that you probably wouldn't be able to see a lot out of them. There were no other cars parked near the building, which made Ana almost doubt that this was the place.

"We're going to have to stash the car someplace until we have everyone" Ana said, driving past the warehouse "There are no other cars in the parking lot. If someone sees this car, they'll know that unwanted people are there"

"It looks like there's a back entrance" David said "We could go in that way"

"Alright" Ana said "We'll stash the car here and go in through the back. Then, it's James Bond from there on out"

&&&&&

After stashing the car far away from the warehouse, the three made their way back, being sure to stay out of sight of any of the few windows that the warehouse actually had.

"How are we going to get to the door without being seen?" Nikki asked, as the three ducked behind a bush "There's nothing to hide up against. We'll be caught for sure!"

"Not if we go at super speed" David replied "Or, should I say, Vampire Speed"

Ana looked at David for a moment. "That takes care of us" she said "What about Nikki?"

"I can carry her" David replied, with a shrug "It will be easy"

"What if the door is locked?" Ana asked "We'll run into it and make so much noise that everyone will catch us!"

"You said that Eric was on our side now, right?" David replied "He probably unlocked the doors for us"

"I better text him, just to be sure" Ana said, pulling out her cell phone and quickly typing in a message.

It was only a matter of seconds before Ana got a reply.

_You're all set. The doors are unlocked._

"Good" David said, after reading the message "Let's go!"

Quickly grabbing onto Nikki, David and Ana raced across the parking lot to the door, getting inside without being seen by anyone.

The halls of the warehouse were dark and gloomy. There was a musty smell in the air, probably because the place got no sunlight.

"I don't see why you vampires like the dark so much" Nikki said, as she, Ana and David made their way down the creepy halls "There's nothing good about it!"

"Except when you are watching a really scary movie" David said, with a sly smile

"Guys! Can we focus here?" Ana said, trying not to laugh "We need to find them!"

Just then, footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway. Ana, David and Nikki froze in their places.

"Holy Crap!" Nikki whispered "What do we do now?!"

Ana looked to David. "Ceiling?"

David nodded. Nikki looked at David and then at Ana.

"Ceiling?" she said "What are you-?"

Nikki stopped when she felt David's arm around her waist. She tried to scream as David and Ana jumped up to the ceiling, but Ana covered her mouth. Nikki was breathing deeply when David and Ana latched themselves to the ceiling. She was amazed when she saw that they weren't hanging onto anything.

Once the two men, the vampires who had broken into the St. John apartment, had walked down the hall and were out of sight, Ana and David slowly unattached themselves from the wall and glided down to the floor, with Nikki still in David's grasp.

"How did you-?" Nikki began, pointing up to the ceiling

"It's a vampire thing" David replied, causing Ana to smile

"What else can you guys do?" Nikki asked, in disbelief

"Many things" Ana replied "But, first, we have to save my father and the others"

"Right!" Nikki said "Let's go!"

The three then went back to sneaking through the halls. At one point, they heard voices. They automatically stopped and stood up against the wall, to try and hide in the open hallway.

"You have a very resourceful daughter, Mick" a voice said "My men have not been able to find her anywhere"

"That's one thing about Ana" they heard Mick reply "When she doesn't want to be found, you can't find her"

They heard the man laugh. Ana turned to David and Nikki.

"Ok" Nikki whispered "Now what?!"

"We have to find out where the voices are coming from!" exclaimed David

"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" Ana said, somewhat annoyed "We have to get them to keep talking!"

"Where will I be able to find her?" they heard the unfamiliar voice say

"How the hell are we supposed to know?" they heard Josef reply "You're keeping us locked up in here!"

"My men will have to keep looking then" the unfamiliar voice said "I'll let you know if we find her"

"How thoughtful" they heard Danielle reply "Always thinking of others, aren't you Lance?"

Ana, David, and Nikki looked at each other after hearing the name Lance. David and Nikki couldn't help but notice the rage in Ana's eyes.

"You know me, my dear" Lance replied "Give, give, give"

They heard Danielle laugh in a sarcastic tone as Lance walked away. They heard a door being shut and locked. When they knew that they were in the clear, they continued on down the hall.

"We have to get them to talk again" David said "It's the only way we'll be able to hear them"

"Can't you smell them?" Nikki asked "I thought you had a super sense of smell"

"This whole place is filled with vampires" Ana replied "We could follow a scent and end up with Lance"

"So, what do we do?" Nikki asked

"Talk to them" Ana replied "It's the only thing we can do"

The trio walked on for a moment before talking.

"Dad!" Ana whispered "Beth!"

"Ana!" they heard Sarah exclaim "Ana, thank God!"

The trio ran over to where Sarah's voice came from. When they got to the door, Ana, Nikki, and David peered inside. They were shocked that everyone was able to fit in the small room and that they had been tied up and blindfolded, with the exception of Beth.

"Ana! Nikki!" Beth said, just barely being able to see their faces in the dark room "Thank God you're here!"

"Are you guys alright?" Ana asked, as David broke the lock open "Did he hurt you?"

"No" Coraline replied "We're fine"

"Good" Ana replied "Now, Nikki and my friend, David, are going to get you guys out of here, ok?"

"Where are you going?" Josef asked

"To get the son-of-a-bitch who killed my mother!" Ana replied

"Ana, no!" exclaimed Mick "Wait for us!"

"No" Ana said, with a serious tone "This is between him and me"

"Ana, wait!" exclaimed David, grabbing onto her arm before she had a chance to get away "Think this through"

"I have" Ana said "For four months now"

Ana ripped her arm out of David's grasp and ran down the hall.

"Did she go?" Sarah asked

"Yeah" David said, untying Coraline "She's gone"

"No" Mick said, softly, as Nikki began to untie him "We have to get to her! Now!"

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	37. The Inevitable Encounter

Ana quietly snuck through the halls of the warehouse. She felt sort of bad for leaving Nikki and David to deal with untying Coraline, Josef, Sarah, Danielle, Mick, and Beth, but she knew that she had to get to Lance.

"Our plan is going just like we hoped it would" she heard Lance say. She froze in her tracks and listened carefully.

"I still don't feel comfortable with this" she heard Eric reply "I mean, we have her family"

Obviously, Lance must have told Eric about his prisoners, not knowing that Eric already knew about them.

"Exactly" she heard Lance say "Since we have her family, she can't refuse our orders. We will be the most powerful bloodline in the history of vampires!"

"But is it worth it?" Eric asked. "Aren't we already the most powerful bloodline?" Ana could tell that he was getting annoyed.

"Of course it's worth it!" Lance replied, angrily "We will be unstoppable! None of the other bloodlines can get in our way!"

"What if Ana doesn't have special powers?" Eric asked, knowing that was a lie "What if she only has the same powers that the rest of us have?"

"Well, we'll just have to wait and find out, won't we?" Lance replied, angrily

Ana started down the hall again and came to a door. Eric and Lance's voices were much louder now.

"Once we have Anastasia St. John, everything will fall into place" she heard Lance say "We will be unstoppable!"

"You already said that" Eric said, with an attitude

Ana kicked the door down with one kick. As she walked in, Eric and Lance whipped around. She couldn't help but notice the worry in Eric's eyes.

"Don't count on it!" she said, to Lance

Lance chuckled. "Anastasia St. John" he said "It's so nice to meet you!"

"I wish I could say the same for you" Ana said, coldly "But, sadly, I don't like to lie!"

Lance chuckled even more. "Where are your friends?" he asked, causing shivers to race down Ana's spine "I'm sure that you wouldn't come here alone"

"That's none of your business" Ana replied, quickly glancing at Eric

"Oh, but it is my business" Lance said, taking a step towards Ana "See, since you are part of my…family…your business is my business"

"So, does that mean that your business is my business?" Ana asked, with a smile "Because, I've checked you out. You've been a very busy boy!"

Lance's smile slowly faded. "Don't do anything foolish"

Ana sighed and crossed her arms. "But, foolishness is in my blood" she said "I'm related to you!"

Ana quickly went into Vampire Mode and lunged for Lance. They slammed up against the wall, causing a few pictures hanging on the wall to fall to the ground. Eric, who was shocked by this scene, was frozen in his spot.

Lance went into Vampire Mode while Ana had him pinned down. He quickly kicked her off of him, sending her into the opposite wall. Ana's head hit the wall hard and she fell to the ground, grabbing her head, trying to get the pain to stop. She tried to stand, but the pain made her fall to the ground.

Lance smiled a sly smile and started walking towards her. Eric couldn't help but notice a stake in his hand. He quickly went into Vampire Mode and jumped in between his uncle and Ana.

Lance was taken aback by Eric's behavior. He looked from Eric, to Ana, who was now trying to get up. He smiled again and started laughing.

"You love her, don't you?" he said, through a chuckle "Oh! How sweet!"

"That's none of your business" Eric said, before grabbing Lance and tossing him aside.

Lance crashed into the opposite wall. Eric quickly turned around and helped Ana stand.

"Thanks" she said, with a sigh, looking into Eric's eyes

"Don't mention it" Eric replied, doing the same.

Just then, Eric fell to the ground, not able to get up because of a sharp pain in the back of his skull. Lance was standing behind him, smiling. Ana growled and tackled Lance to the ground.

"You're quite strong" Lance said, while Ana continued to pin him down "My men have told me how strong you are. They said you took both of them on without any help. What else are you capable of?"

"Killing you" Ana replied, coldly "But, unlike you, I'm not a murderer!"

Lance laughed. "I know that you could kill me" he said, with a smile "That's why, I have to disable you for a short amount of time"

Ana growled in pain as Lance pushed a stake through her heart. She could feel her arms and legs tense up. She could feel her muscles freezing. She could hear Eric yelling as she fell onto her back, her hand grasped around the wooden stake that was now protruding out of her body.

Lance laughed as he slowly stood up and looked at his nephew, who had crawled to Ana's side, still not having any energy to help her.

"How pathetic!" Lance said, as he slowly walked up to his nephew "You are a vampire from the most powerful of all the vampire bloodlines and you can't even save the woman you love!"

Eric glared at his uncle. "Correction!" he said "Ana's family is the most powerful of all the bloodlines!"

Lance walked over to his nephew and slapped him across the face. "Don't you ever say that again!" he said "You forget. Anastasia is from our bloodline on both sides of her parents. She is more of the bloodline than we will ever be, which is why we need her to be all powerful!"

Eric glared at his uncle for moment. Lance composed himself and continued on with what he had been saying.

"Look at your mother!" Lance said, continuing "You are just like her! She's been so hung up on St. John that she even became human again to try and win him back, only for it to turn out that he was in love with another woman – a mortal at that"

"Step away from him!" a voice said.

Lance whipped around. His eyes widened, in a mixture of fear and shock. Behind him was Coraline, Mick, Josef, Sarah, Danielle, Beth, Nikki, and David, all looking very mad. He was outnumbered.

Lance chuckled, smiled at the group of vampires and humans in front of him and quickly ran out of the room in a flash, a plan already beginning to form in his mind. David and Josef tried to follow, but Lance was too quick for them.

"Ana!" exclaimed Mick, when he saw the stake in his daughter's heart, running over to her. Beth and Nikki gasped and ran over to Ana's stiff body, where Eric was also lying helpless on the floor. Nikki and Beth helped Eric stand while Mick carefully pulled the stake out of Ana's heart.

Ana took in a big gasp of air and grabbed onto Mick's arm. She could feel the energy come back into her body. She could feel her muscles thaw and her arms and legs loosen up. She slowly turned towards Mick.

"That felt strange" she said, weakly, with a small smile

Mick chuckled and smiled. He helped Ana to her feet and the two turned to face the group.

"What do we do now?" Nikki asked, still holding Eric up from collapsing "He got away!"

"We have to prepare for the worst" Coraline said, walking over to her son, taking him out of Nikki's grasp "If I know Lance, he's gathering an army"

"An army?" Beth said "For what?"

"He's going to gather all of the Vampire Mafia families to fight with him against us" Josef deducted "Now, we just need to make a vampire army of our own to go up against him"

"It's because we know about his operations" Coraline said "No one in the vampire community knows that the Vampire Mafia still exists. If they found out that it was still in operation, they would kill anyone who belongs to it"

"Alright" Ana said, still holding onto Mick, until she was sure her energy was back "So, do we have enough people who would fight with us?"

Josef nodded and smiled a sly smile. "We'll make some calls" he said "I'm sure that our mafia contacts will help us"

"Good" Mick said, as Ana let go of him

"Just think" Eric said, with a weak smile, remembering that Gianni had called Eric's new friends the "St. John Family", "We've made our own Family"

"Oh, this Family was made before this whole incident" Danielle said "In fact, guess who's the head?"

Eric's eyes landed on Ana. "You?"

"Funny how things work out, isn't it?" Ana replied, with a smile

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter for you!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	38. Tragedy Strikes!

The Kostan mansion had been transformed into the St. John Family headquarters, mainly because of the fact that the Kostan mansion had a bit more room than the St. John penthouse.

Maps of California, the United States, and the world had been set up, each tracking different things. Tables of computers and other technological devises had been set up so Ryder and Logan could do their jobs and, of course, there was a room full of things that you could use to kill or paralyze a vampire. No one was surprised when Josef told them that the room full of weapons had already been there for years.

Josef had also set up a room for anyone who is not used to being in hand-to-hand combat, so they could train and learn some basic skills. The room looked like a mini-gym, only without bleachers and a basketball hoop.

Ana had been forced, to say the least, to make Mick her second in command. This meant that Mick would be able to have his eye on her 24/7. Not something that Ana really wanted but, if she wanted to remain head of the Family, she had to agree to that condition.

"Have we been able to find out anymore locations that Lance could have gone to?" Ana asked, as she walked up to Logan and Ryder "I have a strong feeling that he's not going to be in the same warehouse anymore"

"We're still trying to find out if there are any other abandoned warehouses in L.A." Ryder replied "But we can't seem to find anything"

"It doesn't have to be an abandoned warehouse" Ana said "It could be anything."

"It's too bad we don't have our contact in Lance's Family anymore" Logan said "That would have made this so much easier!"

Ana chuckled. "Just keep looking" she said, starting to walk away "Try to see if any of the vampires in L.A. have seen him"

"And what do we say when they ask why?" Ryder asked

Ana stopped and turned around. "Just tell them that he's a threat for Vampire Security or something"

"What are we?" Logan said "The FBI?"

"No" Ana replied "You're the vampire version of the FBI"

&&&&&

"Did I neglect to mention how painful this hand-to-hand combat thing is?" Nikki asked, as she walked out of the training room and met up with Ana "It freaking hurts!"

Ana chuckled. "You'll get used to it after a while" she said "Other than the pain, how has it been going?"

"Great!" Nikki replied, with a smile "I'm starting to get the hang of it. Josef said that I have very quick reflexes"

"That's a plus" Ana said "It would suck if you didn't have quick reflexes"

Ana and Nikki laughed as they continued walking towards the living room of Josef and Sarah's mansion. They stopped laughing when they saw the serious expressions on everyone's faces.

"Something wrong?" Ana asked, as she and Nikki walked into the living room

Everyone looked up, tears in their eyes.

"What's wrong?" Nikki demanded "What happened?"

"There's been another attack" Mick said, softly

"What?!" exclaimed Ana "What do you mean?"

"Lance's Family made another attack a few hours ago" Danielle replied, not hiding the rage in her voice "Two more people are dead"

"Who?" Ana asked "People we know?"

All eyes fell onto Nikki. No one said anything.

"No!" Nikki yelled, starting to pant heavily "Not my parents!"

No one responded. Everyone looked to the ground.

"No!" Nikki yelled, again, tears streaming down her face "There must be a mistake!"

"There's no mistake" Beth replied, with a shaky voice "The police have already found the bodies"

Nikki looked down at the ground, tears blurring her vision. Her head was spinning. She stumbled backward. Ana caught her before she fell to the ground, bringing her into a hug. Nikki cried into Ana's shirt.

"Ana…" Nikki cried "Why? Why my parents?"

Ana didn't answer. She couldn't answer because of the fact that she was crying too. Mr. and Mrs. Holden had been so nice to her. Out of all of Ana's friends' parents, they were the only ones who didn't think she was weird for not eating or not spending a lot of time in the sun. They didn't ask questions or tell Nikki not to be friends with her. They had invited her to everything – family barbeques, family parties, to the movies. They accepted her. They were two of the nicest people Ana had ever met.

"I don't know, Nikki" Ana replied, with a shaky voice. She turned and looked straight at Mick and Josef. "But I'm going to find out!"

&&&&&

"Is there anyone we should call?" Sarah asked, after Nikki had calmed down a bit. Now, Coraline, Eric, David, Logan, and Ryder were in the living room. After hearing the news, they stopped whatever they were doing in the Kostan mansion and headed to the living room, to hear what the others had to say.

Nikki shook her head. "No" she said "I have no aunts or uncles. My grandparents are all dead. I have no one"

"You have us" Beth said, taking a quick glance at all of the vampires standing in the room "We're your family now"

"You were my family before" Nikki replied, looking at Beth "You were the family I wished I had"

She paused for a moment. "Only I wish I didn't get it like this"

As the women tried to comfort Nikki, Mick and Josef turned to Ana, who had been staring out the window.

"Ana?" Mick said, slowly walking up to his daughter

"He's taken this too far" Ana replied, not hiding the sadness and rage in her voice "If he wants me, then he can come and get me. You don't just go around and kill people who did nothing to you!"

"What our next move?" Josef asked "After the services, I mean"

"Oh, no!" Ana said, turning to face her father and godfather "We move now!"

"What about the funeral?" Mick asked "Nikki needs you there"

"I'm not saying I'm going to go" Ana replied "I'm saying that we're calling in those reinforcements!"

Ana marched past Mick and Josef and headed to the phone, with Mick and Josef close behind.

"Ana, you already sent the Romano Family a message" Mick said "Aren't they here already?"

"That doesn't mean that they have their instructions yet" Ana replied, as she waited for someone to answer on the other end of the line "I only told them that they needed to come. I didn't tell them what they needed to do yet"

"What are you going to tell them to do?" Josef asked

"Signor Romano!" Ana said, into the phone "Yes, I need your help…He's killed two more people…They were the parents of my best friend…I agree…They are?...Good!...What I need you to do is have your men search all of L.A…After the funeral services, my Family will step in and search with you…I expect a report…Thank you…Talk to you soon…Bye"

Ana hung up the phone and turned to Mick and Josef. "Romano is going to send some men out to search the town for Lance" she explained "He will be reporting to us. After the funeral, we will step in and help with the search"

"Who is the 'they'?" Josef asked

"Oh!" Ana said, surprised that she almost forgot "They heard from the Mariano Family"

"What did they say?" Mick asked, eagerly

"They're coming to L.A. as soon as possible" Ana replied "When they heard that the message was from me, they just couldn't refuse"

Mick and Josef smiled small smiles. "At least we have them on our side" Mick said "That will be a big help"

"Ana!" they heard Eric say "Ana!"

Ana walked away from Mick and Josef and up to Eric. "What's going on?"

Eric handed her his cell phone, a mad expression on his face. "It's for you"

Confused, Ana took the phone and put it up to her ear. "Hello?"

"I'm sure that you've heard about the terrible accident" Lance said

"You damn bastard!" Ana exclaimed, causing everyone to turn and look at her "You had no reason to do that!"

"Of course I did" Lance replied "It got your attention, didn't it?"

"There are other ways to get my attention!" Ana replied "They didn't have anything to do with this. You want me, you come and get me!"

Mick's eyes widened at this statement. He never expected Ana to actually say that to the man who was clearly a psychopath.

"Don't bring any other innocent people into this!" Ana continued "You are going to pay dearly for the deaths of the Holden's"

Lance laughed. "And who's going to make me pay?" he asked, with a chuckle "You?"

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you" Ana said "I could kill you easily"

"I'm sure that you could" Lance replied "I have no doubt"

"Then why did you kill the Holden's?" Ana demanded "What needs my attention that badly?"

"You are entering dangerous waters, Anastasia" Lance replied "I felt the need to remind you that this isn't just a game"

The line went dead. Ana took the phone away from her ear and handed it back to Eric.

"What did he say?" Danielle asked

"He wanted to tell me that this isn't just a game" Ana replied "That I'm entering dangerous waters"

There was a pause.

"Logan, Ryder. Take Eric's phone" Ana said, not looking at her family "Trace the number. Find out where he made the call from and give that information to Romano"

Logan and Ryder nodded, though Ana couldn't see it, and took the phone from Eric. They silently walked away from the room.

"Ana" Nikki said, getting up and rushing over to her friend "Ana, please. Look at me"

Ana slowly turned to look at Nikki.

"I don't blame you for what happened" Nikki said, trying not to cry again "This isn't your fault. You can't blame yourself for this"

"How can I not?" Ana said, trying not to yell "The whole reason they're dead is because of me. The only reason they're dead is to tell me that 'this isn't just a game'!"

"Ana, please" Nikki pleaded "I don't blame you. No one here blames you. You had no control over this. This was out of your hands. No one was expecting this to happen"

Ana didn't respond. She didn't have a response.

"She's right, Ana" Josef said, taking a step towards his goddaughter "This isn't your fault"

"This is how Lance works" Coraline said "He does this for everyone he has bad dealings with"

"You have to realize that this isn't your fault" Eric added "Otherwise, Lance will win"

"I don't blame you, Ana" Nikki said, again "I know that this isn't your fault"

Ana paused for a moment and nodded. "Alright" she said, softly "Thanks, Nikki"

Nikki smiled a small smile and the two friends hugged.

* * *

**_Happy New Year, everyone!!_**

**_Here's a new chapter for you!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	39. Something Tragic To Something Amazing

Nikki had fallen asleep about a half an hour before everyone went home. No one wanted to wake her. They knew that she needed some rest.

Josef carried Nikki up to the room that Ana used if she needed to stay over and laid her down on the bed. He grabbed a blanket from the end of the bed and laid it across her, making sure that she was nice and warm.

He paused for a moment and watched Nikki, tears welling up in his eyes at the thought of the beautiful girl sleeping in front of him being an orphan.

He immediately thought of Mick, how he had gotten his wish a few short weeks after their conversation about how they wanted kids. As he looked at Nikki, a new feeling – a new sort of happiness – formed in his body. A happiness that he had never felt before, even after marrying his soul mate. Is this what Mick felt like when he looked at Ana?

It wasn't that Josef didn't feel happy when he was around Mick's daughter. He loved Ana as if she was his own daughter. But, when he looked at Nikki, something clicked into place.

Josef knew what he wanted, what he longed for. A family. Now, it was his turn to get his wish, well, another one of his wishes.

Sarah had already said that she wanted a family, but accepted it when Josef told her that it was impossible. So, Sarah would get her wish too.

Josef smiled a small smile. His mind was made up. He was going to get his wish, which would also help Nikki in the process.

&&&&&

The funeral was a sad event, as to be expected at a funeral. There weren't many mourners. The Holden's weren't a big family. But, all of the vampires, Beth, and a few of Nikki's neighbors were there to pay their respects. That made Nikki a little happy.

After the funeral, Nikki, Beth, and the vampires headed back to the Kostan mansion for drinks and other refreshments.

"So, what happens now?" Danielle asked, when Nikki, David, Ana, and Eric were out of the room "Where does she go?"

"She's a ward of the state, isn't she?" Beth asked "Since there are no other family members to take care of her, right?"

"If Nikki were 18, she could live on her own" Mick said "But, since she's 17, she still needs someone to care for her"

"We can't let her go to the state" Sarah said "We have to do something?"

"Don't worry" Josef said "I have it taken care of"

"What did you do?" Coraline asked "How are you going to fix this?"

"She's going to come and live in the mansion" Josef replied "And, if she wants to, she can legally become part of our family"

"You mean it, Josef?" Sarah said, excitedly "Really?"

"Absolutely" Josef replied "There's no way that I am going to let her go away. She's too important to all of us"

"Have you asked Nikki yet?" Mick asked

"I'm going to talk to her about it later" Josef replied "When we're alone"

&&&&&

"Are you serious?!" exclaimed Ana. It had been two days since the funeral. She hadn't talked to Nikki since then.

"Yeah" Nikki replied "I'm legally living with Josef and Sarah now"

"That's amazing!" Ana said "Wait, did they _adopt_ you?"

There was a pause.

"Nikki…?" Ana said "Tell me!"

"You are now talking to Nicole Marie Kostan!"

"Oh. My. God." Ana said, a smile creeping over her face "That is freaking amazing!"

"I know!" Nikki said, excitedly "The adoption papers were filed yesterday"

"Wait" Ana said "You just dropped 'Holden' all together?"

"That's the weird part" Nikki replied

"What do you mean?"

"I was born Nicole Marie Kostan" she replied "It's on my birth certificate. For some reason, my father changed his name"

"So, you're actually related to Josef?" Ana said "Genetically?"

"Yeah" Nikki said "He's some sort of great-grandfather down the line"

"What did he say when you found this out?"

"He's really happy" Nikki said "Like ecstatic"

"This is so cool!"

"But, wait! There's more!"

Ana thought for a moment. "No way!" she said "Are you a…?"

"Next time you come over, we'll have some blood together"

"Are you serious?" Ana asked "You're a vampire now?"

"Well, not yet" Nikki replied "I want to have a few more days as a human. But, I will be a vampire by this weekend"

"This is great!" Ana said "I can't believe this!"

"I know" Nikki replied "I'm so excited!"

"Wait" Ana said "Does that make you my godsister?"

Nikki laughed. "I guess it does"

"Does anyone else know?" Ana asked "I mean, can I tell people?"

"Go ahead" Nikki replied "It isn't a secret"

"Alright" Ana said "I've got to go. Talk to you later"

Nikki laughed. "Just think, the next time you talk to me, I will be a vampire!"

"Looking forward to it"

Ana hung up the phone and smiled. She couldn't believe how such a tragic event could turn into something amazing.

&&&&&

It had been interesting when Nikki was turned. Well, it was interesting to Ana, since she had never experienced the turning process before. The bloodlust that Nikki had once she was turned shocked Ana.

Nikki hadn't been too bad. Sure, she wanted blood, but it wasn't like she had gone crazy. It was almost like she was prepared for the change, like she had been waiting for it for her entire human existence. But, Josef had said that different people deal with the change differently. Everyone had different reactions.

Josef held a huge party to celebrate his daughter's turning. He was so proud of her. He was so excited when he and Nikki found out that they were actually related to each other, that Nikki was a Kostan by birth. He, too, had finally gotten his most desired wish.

Mick couldn't help but notice the difference in Josef since Sarah came back and the news about Nikki being related to him. He seemed much happier. He smiled more. Sure, he was still the same Josef Kostan, but you could still see some subtle differences.

Of course, looking at the happy Kostan family made Mick think about his future. He looked at his own daughter, laughing and smiling with his beautiful girlfriend. He knew that, after this whole war was over, it would be time to take action. To do what he had been longing to do for awhile.

&&&&&

The St. John Family held another meeting day the Saturday after Nikki had been turned into a vampire.

"Have we gotten the report from the Romano Family yet?" Ana asked, when everyone had settled in the living room of the Kostan mansion

"Not yet" Logan replied "Nothing has come in yet. They are probably waiting for something to report"

"Well, if we are going to help them, we need to know what's going on" Ana said "Try and get them on the phone. We need to know what they've done, if they've accomplished anything"

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it" Beth said, standing

The group continued to talk as Beth headed over to get the door. When she opened it, an old man was standing outside.

"Can I help you?" Beth asked

"Yes" the man replied "I'm looking for Anastasia St. John. Is she here?"

Beth was about to answer when Ana walked up behind her.

"Signor Romano!" exclaimed Ana "What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Ana" Romano replied, with a smile

"Beth, this is Signor Romano, head of the Romano Family" Ana explained "He's the man I made a deal with"

Beth answered with a nod and stepped aside to let Romano in.

"Signor Romano, this is Beth Turner" Ana explained "She's my father's girlfriend and part of my Family"

"Ah!" Romano replied, holding his hand out for Beth to shake "Nice to meet you, Miss. Turner"

"Please" Beth said, shaking his hand, with a smile "Call me Beth"

"Come on" Ana said "I'll introduce you to the others"

&&&&&

"It's very nice to meet you, Signor Romano" Josef said, after the introductions had been made "Is there anything we can do for you?"

"It's more like what I can do for you" Romano replied "The Mariano Family is here in L.A. They want to see you"

"All of us?" Mick asked, surprised

Romano nodded. "Yes, all of you" he replied "They are surprised by what you have promised to do. They are surprised to hear that a 17-year-old vampire is the head of a Mafia family, even if this particular Mafia family doesn't deal in crime"

"When do they want to see us?" Danielle asked, a little nervous about seeing her family for the first time

"As soon as possible" Romano replied "They asked me to find out what day would be best for you"

"Tomorrow" Ana replied, quickly "We can meet them tomorrow"

Romano looked to the rest of the group for a confirmation. They nodded in agreement.

"Good" Romano replied, standing "I'll send my men for you tomorrow morning at 10"

"Thank you, Signor Romano" Sarah said "I'll see you out"

As Sarah led Romano out, Ana sighed.

"Well" she said "This is going to be good!"

* * *

**_I hope that this chapter wasn't too corny. But, I liked it. Just to get this out there, there will most likely be more information on the whole "Why did Nikki's father change his name?" thing later in the series. _**

**_So, hope you like the chapter!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	40. What It's All About

The next day came very quickly. Everyone was nervous about meeting the Mariano Family. This family was the ones who ran the show.

Ana had Ryder and Logan find out some more information on the Mariano Family before meeting with them the next day. They were able to find out that the Mariano Family wasn't always the ones who led the Vampire Nation.

Originally, there was a leading family in Transylvania, which made sense considering the folklore that came to mind when humans thought of vampires. But, in the early 1200's, the family in Transylvania was massacred by vampire rebels who didn't like the way they ruled over the vampire nation. The Mariano family was the second most powerful vampire family in the world. It was after the massacre of the ruling family in Transylvania that the Mariano family took power and made the vampire capital in Italy instead of Transylvania.

With this new information in mind, the group, which consisted of Mick, Ana, Josef, Nikki, Sarah, Danielle, and Beth, climbed into the limo Romano sent over and bravely headed over to meet the Vampire Ruling Family.

&&&&&

The Mariano Family was staying in the same hotel that the Romano Family was staying in, which was one of the reasons that Romano had agreed to bring the St. John Family to where the Mariano Family was.

"I have been told that they want to see Anastasia first" Romano said, as the group walked into the lobby of the hotel. "They will meet the rest of you later"

Ana gulped. She had never been so nervous before in her life. She was about to meet her family. She was about to meet the people who knew exactly what being the Vampire Princess was all about.

"Anastasia?" Romano said "Are you ready?"

Ana looked up and nodded. She started to walk away when Mick stopped her.

"You sure you can do this?" he asked "You don't have to do it if you're not ready"

"I can do it" Ana replied "I have to do it"

"Don't worry, Ana" Josef said "We'll be here when you get back"

Ana nodded and turned back towards Romano. The group watched as Romano led Ana away from them and towards the elevators.

"She's going to be ok, right?" Nikki asked "I mean, they're not going to do anything to her, right?"

"Who knows?" Mick said, not taking his eyes off of the now closed elevator. "We'll just have to wait and see"

&&&&&

Romano led Ana to a suite located on the top floor of the hotel.

"I have been told to leave you here" he said "You'll have to do the rest on your own"

"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to my death?" Ana asked, gulping again

Romano chuckled. "You have nothing to be worried about, Anastasia"

Ana nodded and took in a deep breath as Romano walked away. She slowly put her hand on the door knob and turned it. She opened the door only to see darkness. She stepped inside the dark room and closed the door behind her.

Her Night Vision kicked in quickly. No one was in the room. A confused look spread across Ana face and she braced herself for anything.

What she got she wasn't expecting.

The theme to "The Godfather" started playing. Ana relaxed as she looked around the room.

"I've been told that this is one of your favorite movies" a voice said

"It is" Ana replied, looking around the room "Even before this whole Mafia thing"

The voice chuckled.

"Are you going to let me know who you are?" Ana asked "Or how many of you there are?"

Ana noticed something move out of the corner of her eye. Suddenly, the music stopped. The lights turned on. Ana saw a man, who looked about 60, standing near the window.

"I am Carlo Mariano" the man replied "Your grandfather"

"Grandfather?" Ana replied "But, you're supposed to be dead? Killed in a fire 5 years ago"

"That's what it was supposed to look like for the humans" Carlo replied "Why the vampires think I'm dead, I have no clue"

"Wait" Ana said "You look like you are 60. I thought that all the men in this family were supposed to be turned when they were 30?"

"Well, we can't all look 30" Carlo replied, with a smile "That would look a little suspicious, don't you think?"

Ana replied with a nod.

"You don't have to be nervous, Anastasia" Carlo said, sitting on a couch "Please, my Princess, sit"

Ana sat down on the couch opposite her grandfather.

"So," Carlo said "I bet you're wondering what being the Vampire Princess is all about, am I right?"

Ana nodded. "It had perked my curiosity"

Carlo chuckled. "It's really simple" he said "You are…how should I put this…the supreme ruler of the Vampires"

"That's simple?" Ana asked "I'd hate to see what you thought was difficult"

"Being Vampire Princess only means that you can do certain things that other vampires can't, which would make you supreme ruler" Carlo said

"Like what?"

"Staying out in the sun for long amounts of time is the main one" Carlo said "Sure, you couldn't tan on the beach or anything. But, you could stay in very sunny areas for long amounts of time without getting sick"

"Oh, believe me" Ana said, remembering the beach incident "I know all about that"

"It also means that all of your vampire qualities would be doubled" Carlo continued "You can run faster and are stronger than any other vampire on the planet. You are the greatest vampire the world has ever seen and will ever see"

"I like the sound of that"

"But, being Vampire Princess means that other vampires can come to you when they have problems that need to be dealt with"

"What about you?" Ana asked "Don't you do that?"

"Yes" Carlo replied "But, now we have you to help us"

Ana replied with a nod. "Don't worry. I'm used to helping other vampires solve their problems already"

Carlo chuckled. "How old are you Anastasia?"

"17" Ana replied

"Do you want to stay 17?"

"Yes" Ana said "I want there to be a physical age difference when people look at me and my father, godfather, etc."

"You are going to stop aging"

"How?"

"When you were born, a birthmark was embedded into your skin" Carlo explained "To humans, it looks like a tattoo. But, to vampires, they know that it is the mark of the Vampire Princess"

Carlo pulled a necklace out of his pocket and held it in front of Ana. "This amulet bears the symbol of the Vampire Princess" he explained "This is what's embedded into your skin"

The charm hanging on the chain had a purple jewel in the center, with 8 pink jewels surrounding it. There were 4 petal-like shapes on the top, bottom, right and left of the purple jewel. 4 of the pink jewels were actually in the petal-like shapes; because of the way that amulet was designed.

"How come it's not visible yet?"

"We have to perform a special ceremony in which the amulet will trigger the birthmark to appear" Carlo explained

"Do I have to wear this amulet all the time?"

"No" Carlo said "Once the birthmark appears, it is permanent. You can wear the amulet all you want. But, you are not required to wear it if you don't want to."

Ana nodded. "When is this ceremony?"

"Next Saturday" Carlo replied "At 9:00 at night. It will be held in this suite"

Ana nodded. "Where are the others?" she asked "I'm sure you wouldn't come here alone"

"I sent them away for a little while" Carlo replied "I wanted some time with you by myself first"

"Ah" Ana said "I see"

"You will meet them eventually" Carlo said

Ana looked at her grandfather for a moment. "You know that my mother was killed by this Family were fighting against, right?"

Carlo nodded and Ana could see the sadness in his eyes. "That's what I've been told"

"And you know that I am the head of the St. John Family, right?"

Carlo nodded again. "Don't worry, Anastasia" he said "We know pretty much everything"

Ana smiled.

* * *

**_Here's another chapter for you!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	41. Vampire Princess Anastasia St John

Mick, Josef, and the rest of the group had been waiting eagerly in the lobby of the hotel for Ana to come back. The waiting was killing them.

"Jeez! What's taking so long?" Nikki asked, standing up "She's been up there for at least an hour!"

"I'm sure that everything's fine, Nikki" Josef said, as she turned to him "Come on, sit down"

Nikki hesitated for a moment and then sat back down next to Sarah. Just then, Romano headed towards them.

"Something wrong?" Danielle asked, as the group stood

"No" Romano replied "Nothing's wrong. Signor Mariano would like to see you now"

"All of us?" Beth asked

Romano nodded. "Anyone in the St. John Family who are here at the hotel"

The group looked at each other and then back at Romano.

"Lead the way" Mick said

&&&&&

Carlo, Ana, and the rest of the Mariano Family looked up when the door to the suite opened and the St. John Family walked in.

"Ah!" Carlo said "Welcome!"

He turned to Ana. "Could you make the introductions?"

Ana nodded as she walked over to her family. "Grandpa, may I introduce to you," she said "my father, Mick St. John; my godfather, Josef Kostan; my godmother, Sarah Kostan; my best friend, Nicole Kostan; my father's girlfriend, Beth Turner; and my aunt, Danielle Mariano"

Carlo's eyes widened as they fell onto Danielle. Danielle was staring at her father with an open mouth.

"Dad…?" she said "But, I thought that you were…?"

"Dead?" Carlo replied, taking a step towards his daughter "It was supposed to look like that for the humans, not for the vampires"

Danielle's eyes filled with tears. "Dad!"

Carlo pulled his daughter into a hug. "It's good to finally meet you, Danielle" he said "It's so good to finally meet you!"

"I feel the exact same way" Danielle said, pulling away from her father

Carlo smiled and looked at the rest of the group. "Please, sit"

The group obliged, sitting in various spots throughout the suite.

"Now, my turn for introductions" Carlo said "But, keep in mind that, the rest of the family is back in Italy"

The members of the Mariano Family stood in the places where they had been standing.

"May I present to you Thomas, Ciro, and Shawn Mariano, my nephews" Carlo said "As I said before, the rest of the Family are in Italy on standby in case we need them"

"It's a pleasure to meet you" Ciro said "We have heard a lot about the famous vampire family in L.A. and of course a lot about our Princess"

Ana blushed a little at her cousin's remark. It was amazing to her how close she had gotten to these members of her family after having only known them for a few hours.

"We heard that there is a new family" Thomas said "They seem to be dangerous"

"Unfortunately, they are" Mick replied "As you probably know, we believe that they are responsible for the deaths of four civilians and of Alina"

"And for that they will burn in Hell!" exclaimed Shawn "You can't just kill a Mariano and get away with it!"

"Calm down, Shawn!" Carlo said, loudly "There's no need for your famous temper to be let loose right now!"

Shawn eyed his uncle for a moment and then sat down.

"Do we have a plan for attack?" Ciro asked

"We've been trying to form one" Josef replied "But, we are still trying to locate this Family"

"The Romano Family has been helping us" Ana said, looking at her grandfather "As you know, they are our allies"

Carlo nodded. "I heard" he said "And that is a wise move. Signor Romano is a very smart man"

"We have set up headquarters in my mansion" Josef said "You are more than welcome to come and spend some time there if you would like"

Carlo looked at his nephews and then back at Josef. "That would be very nice, Mr. Kostan" he said "It would be much better than working out of this hotel room. It would be better for the ritual too"

"Ritual?" Beth said

"The ritual officially naming Anastasia as Vampire Princess" Carlo replied "Though she was Vampire Princess by birth, everything needs to be made official"

&&&&&

The next week went by quickly. Though they had been preparing for Saturday's big event, the Families had still been working furiously on trying to find where Lance and his Family had run away to. Coraline and Eric tried visiting all of the places they thought that Lance would go but still couldn't find him. David had gone to Logan to see if he could find anything, but Logan was having a hard time.

The Romano Family had even looked to their allies out of state to see if they could be on the lookout in case Lance showed up somewhere out of L.A.. They were awaiting daily reports while also searching around L.A.

Finally, Saturday came. The group gathered at Josef and Sarah's mansion at exactly 8:30 PM, giving the Mariano Family and Ana a half an hour to make sure that everything was set before starting.

Ana had been told to wait in the bedroom she used whenever she had to stay at the Kostan Mansion. All she had to do during the ritual was walk outside and stand in front of Carlo when it was 9:00. She knew that she really didn't have to be but she was very, very nervous.

Carlo had assured her that, even though she would be Vampire Princess, she could still do everything that she did before. She could still be a regular kid, since the birthmark would cause Ana to stop aging. He assured her that her life wasn't really going to change all that much. Sure, it was going to change a little, tiny bit, but it was nothing drastic.

Ana gulped when she saw that the clock said that it was 9:00. She walked over to the bedroom door and headed down the stairs and outside.

&&&&&

The moon was shining brightly. Ana took in a deep breath as she stepped into the moonlight. She kept her eyes on her grandfather, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone else.

"Anastasia St. John" Carlo said, in a deep voice, once Ana had stopped in front of him "You have been chosen to be Vampire Princess, supreme ruler of all of the vampires. Do you accept this responsibility?"

"Yes" Ana replied, with a nod "I do"

"Now, it is time to reveal the mark that was embedded into your skin on the day of your birth" Carlo said "The mark that will let vampires all over the world know who you are"

Carlo walked up to his granddaughter and held the amulet up for all to see.

"This amulet is an exact replica of what the birthmark looks like" he explained "Once this amulet touches the skin of the Vampire Princess, the birthmark will appear. Once the birthmark appears, the Vampire Princess will stop aging."

Carlo looked at Ana.

"Are you ready, Anastasia?"

"Yes" Ana replied "I am"

Ana closed her eyes as Carlo put the amulet around her neck. She kept her eyes closed as he turned her around so that she was facing her family. Her eyes shot open as she felt the birthmark appear on her skin. She gritted her teeth. It was like someone was ripping her skin off, burning it. Ana looked down to see her birthmark appearing on the bottom of her left arm, where her wrist met her hand.

Finally, the pain subsided. Ana held up her arm for everyone to see. Her eyes immediately fell on Mick, who was smiling a big smile. His little girl would be forever 17.

"I give you!" Carlo said, with a smile "Vampire Princess Anastasia St. John!"

Ana smiled as the crowd cheered. Just then, shots could be heard throughout the moonlit sky.

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter for you!!_**

I hope that you like it!!

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	42. Call To Battle

"Get down!" Mick yelled "Everyone! Get down!"

Everyone practically threw themselves on the ground as the shots got closer and closer. Dirt was flying everywhere, flower pots were being shot and broken, and some of the windows of the Kostan mansion had been shattered.

Ana looked up but saw nothing. The shots were coming out of nowhere. Ana turned when she heard someone scream. Will had been shot.

"Will!" exclaimed Romano, crawling over to him "Good God! It's silver! They're shooting silver bullets!"

Ana's eyes widened. Silver. Another thing that could kill vampires. Ana quickly crawled over to Will and Romano.

"Will…" Romano said, tears streaming down his cheeks "My boy…"

"He's your son?" Ana said. She knew that Will was a Romano, but she was never sure how he was related to the family.

Romano nodded. "My oldest"

Ana took in a deep breath and looked down at Will, his face frozen in pain and fear. She took one more look at Romano, who had not taken his eyes off of his son, before she bent down and bit Will's neck.

After a few minutes, Ana straightened.

"What did you do to him?" Romano demanded "What the hell did you do?"

"Dad…"

Romano's head immediately turned to the voice of his son. "Will…you're alive" he said "But, how?"

"I'm a healer, Signor" Ana said "I heal people"

Romano smiled as the tears came down his cheeks again. He pulled Ana into his embrace. "Thank you, my Princess" he said "Thank you"

"Ana!" Nikki yelled "Look out!"

It took Ana a moment to realize that she, Signor Romano, and Will were just sitting in the middle of a battle zone.

"Romano! Get Will in the house!" Ana said. Romano nodded and carefully picked his son up. As the two ran into the house, Ana turned to see where everyone else was.

Josef, Sarah, and Nikki were on the ground behind a bush, Mick and Beth were hiding behind a nearby tree, Coraline and Eric were lying flat on the ground, David, Carlo, Danielle, Ben Romano, and the rest of the Mariano Family were leaning up against the mansion.

Just then, the shots stopped. Confused looks spread across everyone's faces.

"3 days!" said a familiar voice "3 days"

"3 days?" Nikki said "What does that mean?"

"Until the war" Carlo replied "3 days until the war"

&&&&&

"Are you telling me that we haven't been at war all this time?" Ana said, as everyone stood "All of these hits have had nothing to do with a war?"

Carlo shook his head. "Those acts would be considered war if we were the Human Mafia" he said "But, when it comes to the Vampire Mafia, a war is when the two sides gather and have a battle, like the American Civil War and American Revolutionary War"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Mick said "There's no way we can fight in a war, especially one like that!"

"Sure, we can" Thomas said "We have the man power and the weapons. We just need to figure out strategies we can use during the battle"

"And where we're fighting" Danielle said "It's nice of Lance to tell us where this war is going to be"

"It would have to be in a place far away from the humans" Coraline said "A place that is big enough to hold all of us"

"Isn't there a huge meadow or something just outside of town?" Eric asked "Maybe that's where the war is going to be"

"It's a good guess" Josef said "That meadow is huge. There would be plenty of room for us"

"But, how can we be sure that that's where the war will be?" Beth asked "We have no way of knowing until that day"

"That's a chance we'll have to take, apparently" David said "Unless we can figure out a way to find out for sure"

"How can we do that?" Shawn asked "We have no way of catching up to this Lance character. We have no way of even knowing where he is right now"

"We could always hunt around the town, like we were doing before" Ben said

"No, that wouldn't work" Romano said, as he and Will came back out into the backyard "That would take too much time"

"He's right" Sarah said "We need to spend as much time as we can preparing for the fight"

"Then how do you propose we find Lance?" Ciro said

"We're not" Ana said

Everyone turned to look at her.

"We're going to take our chances and see what happens in 3 days" Ana said "We need all the time we can get for preparation"

"Ana, come on" Nikki said "We have to do something"

"We need to focus on learning how to work with each other during this battle" Ana said "We need to work together and work out strategies. We need to learn to trust each other in the three days that we are given"

&&&&&

The next three days were very hectic for the Mariano, St. John, and Romano Families. They were very busy coming up with fighting strategies and learning how to work with each other. With such a big group of people, Ana wanted to make sure that everyone got to know each other before they went into battle.

"This fight almost seems unfair" David said, as he, Ana, and Eric walked towards the living room of the Kostan mansion "I mean, does Lance have this many people on his side?"

"Not from when I last checked" Eric said "But, he does have a lot of friends. I'm sure that they would help him if need be. But, getting back to the task at hand, when do we leave tomorrow?"

"Around 8:00 tomorrow night" Ana replied "We figured that the battle wouldn't be until nightfall"

"I think that's a safe assumption" David said, with a smile

"So, do you guys feel that you trust everyone?" Ana asked "Is there anyone you don't trust?"

Eric shrugged. "Everyone seems trustworthy"

"I agree" David said "I trust everyone"

"Good" Ana said "That's really important"

"Why?" Eric asked "I mean, why is it so important for just one battle?"

"One: You are going to be fighting with these people. You wouldn't want one of them to be a traitor or leave you dying" Ana said "And two: who said that this was going to be the only battle?"

"What? You expect there to be another one?" David asked

"We're in the Mafia" Ana said "It comes with the job"

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter for you!! _**

**_Hope you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	43. And The Battle Begins

Mick and Josef had been busy all day, preparing for the battle. The members of the Romano and Mariano Families had agreed to meet them at the battlefield later that night. Logan, Guillermo, and Ryder had volunteered to fight in the battle. They were going to meet everyone at the battlefield as well.

There were so many weapons that were going to be brought to the battlefield. Guns with silver bullets, flame throwers, fire canisters, bow and arrows (that were actually wooden stakes). Everything that could kill a vampire was being brought to the battle.

Sarah had been practicing her hand-to-hand combat techniques, since she had never fought with anyone before. Danielle and Coraline were her coaches, making sure that Sarah knew what she was doing.

Beth had volunteered to handle distributing the weapons to the others and to make sure that there was enough blood from the blood bank on hand for the vampires in case they got hurt. It wasn't exactly the job she wanted, but it kept her safe and it kept Mick happy…or at least as happy as he could be with her involved in a vampire war. Everyone called her the medic, since she was going to handle the distributing of the blood in the case of injury.

Mick loved watching his daughter during the three days that they had before the war. She was a true leader. She wasn't afraid to tell someone what they were doing wrong or to take charge when things got out of hand. He especially liked it when he watched her teach Nikki and Sarah how to handle themselves in battle. He loved watching her show off her vampire skills. He liked to think that she inherited those skills from him.

&&&&&

At 7:30 that night, everyone piled into Mick, Josef, and Coraline's cars and headed towards the battle field. Everyone, though they all put on brave faces, was very nervous.

The battlefield was dark, barely even being lit up by the moon. But, of course, that didn't really matter, since the people who would be fighting on the battlefield could see clearly in the dark.

"Are they here yet?" Mick asked as the St. John Family arrived at the battlefield and got out of their cars

"No, not yet" Ciro replied "But, it's not quite 8:00. They still have some time to get here"

"What if this is the wrong place?" Coraline asked "What happens then?"

"We're not sure" Thomas replied "We're hoping that this is the right place"

"Quite right" said a voice "Glad that you were all here on time"

Everyone turned towards the battlefield to see Lance standing in the middle of it, hands in his pockets, with a sly smile on his face.

"You!" exclaimed Shawn "You're the one who murdered Alina!"

Carlo had to hold Shawn back from lunging at Lance, who just chuckled.

"I think we've clearly established the fact that I am the one who killed her" Lance said

"But, why?" Carlo asked "Why kill my daughter?"

Lance stared at Carlo for a moment. "It's complicated"

"Please" Carlo said "Before we begin. I have to know"

"No!" Lance almost yelled "Enough of this! Let's take our places on the battlefield and begin!"

Lance stormed off into the dark woods. Ana was the first one to enter the battlefield after Lance had stormed off. She walked out into the middle of the field and let the moonlight hit her face. She turned to look at her family.

"Come on, guys" she said, softly "We can do this. We can win"

She watched as everyone took in a deep breath and walked onto the battlefield. She helped Josef distribute some of the weapons to the various vampires.

"Now, I want everyone to remember that, whatever happens, all of you are amazing people" Ana said, after the weapons had been distributed "You are the bravest people I know and I consider each and every one of you as part of my family"

"I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say" Romano said, stepping forward "That it is an honor to be able to have worked with you and be your friend, Anastasia"

The entire group agreed. Ana couldn't help but blush.

"Thanks, guys" Ana said, with a sigh "Alright. Let's take our places"

Everyone dispersed, except Mick.

"Well, here we are" Ana said

"Ana, I just want you to know that, whatever happens," Mick said, trying not to cry "That, I love you more than anything else in the world. I am proud to be able to call you my daughter"

"I love you too, Dad" Ana replied, also trying not to cry "And, I have always been proud that I was your daughter. Even before I met you"

Mick smiled a small smile and pulled his daughter into his embrace, not sure if they would be able to do this again later. When they pulled away from each other, Ana and Mick had tears streaming down their cheeks.

"If anything should happen to me…" Mick said

"Dad! Don't say that!"

"Make sure that you follow your heart and your dreams" Mick finished "Don't stop your life because of me"

Ana nodded. "And if anything should happen to me…"

She paused. Mick looked down.

"I don't want you to stop your life either" she continued, with a sob "Marry Beth, have more children, move on with life"

Mick could only reply with a nod. They hugged again and then went and took their places on the battlefield.

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter for you!!_**

**_Hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	44. On The Battlefield

Lance and his army appeared not too long after the St. John, Mariano, and Romano Families had prepared themselves to fight. Everyone was surprised to see that Lance had built up an army to the exact size of their army.

"Shall we begin?" Lance yelled, from across the field

"We're ready" Carlo replied

Suddenly, an explosion erupted only feet away from Ben Romano. Everyone close to the explosion ducked and shielded themselves from the dirt and sparks raining down on them. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

Ana and Eric, who had not been close to the explosion, cocked their guns and shot at a couple of the men in Lance's army. They couldn't help but notice one vampire standing on the side lines…much like what Beth was doing.

"Shit!" exclaimed Ana "They have a medic too!"

"And we can't kill him, or they will kill Beth!" Eric replied "Crap!

"Don't worry" Danielle said, shooting a wooden stake at one of the men "We'll think of something"

Ana and Eric nodded and ducked as a couple of bullets whizzed past them. Out of the corner of her eye, Ana could see Logan and Ryder fighting from behind a big boulder. Guillermo was beside Danielle, handing her stakes as she shot them at the other side.

"Ana!" Nikki yelled "Eric! Get down!"

Ana and Eric lunged themselves at the ground just in time. An explosion erupted right behind them.

"Ana!" Mick yelled "Ana!"

Ana covered her head as the dirt and sparks rained down on her and Eric. She crawled over to her aunt and Guillermo as Eric crawled toward Coraline and David.

Ana looked at Mick, letting him know that she was ok. Mick nodded and turned back to the battle, tossing a fire canister over to the other side.

Josef and Sarah were shooting silver bullets at the enemy, much like Ana and Eric were. Nikki and Beth were off to the side. Ana figured that Mick had asked Nikki to make sure that Beth stayed safe.

Everyone's heads turned when they heard a loud yell. Ciro was charging at the enemy.

"Ciro!" Carlo yelled "What the hell are you doing?"

"Ciro, get back here!" Thomas yelled "You're going to get yourself killed!"

But, Ciro didn't listen. He continued to charge at the enemy.

"Ciro!" Ana yelled "Get down, you idiot! Getting yourself killed is not going to help anything!"

As if on cue, Ciro fell.

"No!" Shawn yelled

"Someone get in there and get Ciro!" Carlo yelled "Take him to Beth!"

Logan and Ryder ran out into the middle of the battlefield and grabbed the wounded Ciro, a wooden stake in his heart.

Ana watched as Rena pulled the stake out of Ciro and fed him some of the blood she had brought. She quickly turned back to the battle and began shooting silver bullets at some of Lance's men, hitting a couple in the process.

"Where's Lance?" Josef asked, coming up behind Ana "I can't see him!"

"I saw him head towards the back of his side of the field after he threw the first blow" Romano replied "He must be back there"

"Oh no!" Ana said "He's not going to get out of this. He called for the fight. He's going to fight in the fight"

"Ana, what are you going to do?" Josef asked, grabbing onto Ana's arm as another explosion rocked the field.

"Don't worry, Josef" Ana said "I'll be fine"

Ana ripped her arm out of Josef's grasp and ran across the battlefield, towards the sidelines.

"That doesn't answer my question!" Josef yelled to her

"Josef!" exclaimed Mick "Where's Ana?"

Josef almost winced. He was hoping that Mick wouldn't notice anything.

"I think she's heading to confront Lance again" Josef replied, ducking as a bullet whizzed past him

"What?!" exclaimed Mick "Why didn't you stop her?"

"Like I really could!" Josef replied

Mick rolled his eyes and desperately scanned the battlefield, trying to find his daughter. "Ana, please" he said "Be careful!"

&&&&&

Sarah had managed to crawl over to Guillermo and Danielle.

"Did I just see Ana head towards enemy lines?" she asked

"Yeah" Danielle said, through a sigh, as she shot another stake into the air "I think she did"

"Did anyone try and stop her?" Sarah asked

"Your husband did" Guillermo replied, handing another stake to Danielle "But, she went anyway"

"How's Ciro?" Danielle asked "Do you know?"

"I think he's going to be ok" Sarah replied, shooting a silver bullet at one of Lance's men at the same time that Mick threw another fire canister "Logan and Ryder said that his injury wasn't too bad"

"That's a relief" Guillermo said "I don't really want to know what Carlo would do if Lance was responsible for Ciro's death too"

"Do you think that we're winning?" Sarah asked

"I think that's a safe assumption" Danielle replied "Considering, we don't have any casualties yet"

"Oh. My. God." Guillermo said

"What?" Sarah asked "What is it?"

"Ana" Guillermo said "She's heading right for Lance!"

"No, she's not!" Danielle said, in disbelief. It took her a moment to find her niece. "Oh my God! She is!"

"This can't be good" Sarah said "Not good at all"

&&&&&

"Don't worry, Ciro" Beth said "You're going to be fine"

Ciro nodded. "I don't know what I was thinking"

"Just don't do it again, ok?" Nikki said, with a smile

Ciro smiled a weak smile and closed his eyes, falling asleep. Beth sighed and looked at Nikki.

"That wasn't so bad" she said "At least he didn't die"

Nikki didn't respond.

"Nikki?" Beth said "Nikki?"

"Holy crap!"

"Excuse me?" Beth said, confused

"Ana" Nikki replied, standing "She's crossing over into enemy territory! She's heading straight for Lance!"

"You're kidding?" Beth said, standing up next to Nikki, to get a better look "Oh my God, you're right!"

"What is she doing?" Nikki asked

"I'm not sure if I want to know" Beth said, not taking her eyes off of Ana "But, it must be a good reason"

&&&&&

David, Coraline, and Eric were refilling their guns with bullets when they heard what everyone on their side was talking about. Ana crossing over into enemy lines.

Carlo and Romano had been talking about it. Shawn, Thomas, Will, and Ben had been talking about it. Sarah, Danielle, and Guillermo had been talking about it. Beth and Nikki had been talking about it. Mick and Josef had been talking about it. Though they didn't want to believe it, David, Eric, and Coraline knew that it was true.

"Coraline, Lance wouldn't just kill Ana, would he?" David said

"I wouldn't put it past him" Coraline replied

"But, doesn't he want something from her?" Eric asked "He couldn't kill her!"

"I don't know, Eric" Coraline said "I really don't know"

Coraline looked at him for a moment and then looked at David. Both boys looked like someone had died.

"Don't worry" she said "Ana is a smart, resourceful girl. She can defend herself. She's going to be fine"

Deep down, Coraline hoped that she was right.

* * *

**_Here's a new chapter for you!!_**

**_I hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**

**_PS: If you are a fan of the show, "Forever Knight", please check out my latest story. It has gone through a lot of versions and changes, but I think, and hope, that I have finally hit the nail on the head. PLEASE check it out and leave me some reviews!!!!!!!! _**


	45. The Inevitable Encounter, Part II

Ana couldn't help but gulp when she walked up behind Lance.

"I've been waiting for you, Anastasia" he said, not turning around to look at her

"How did you know that I was coming?" Ana asked

"I knew that you wouldn't be able to stand it if I stayed out of the battle" Lance replied "I knew that you would come and find me"

"Why aren't you fighting?" Ana asked, making sure to keep her gun trained on him

Lance turned around. "Because I wanted to talk to you" he said "There's something that you need to know"

Ana's eyes narrowed. "Go on"

"I may have been the one who killed your mother, Anastasia, but I'm not the one who wanted her dead"

Ana's eyes widened. "What are you saying?"

"Someone wanted your mother dead, Anastasia" Lance said "Someone ordered your mother's death and chose me to be the assassin"

"Who? Why?" Ana said "Why would you take a job like this?"

"Let's just say that at the time, I thought that it was the right thing to do" Lance said "Your mother was entering dangerous territory"

"How?" Ana asked "How could my mother have possibly been getting in trouble?"

Lance paused for a moment. "I can't tell you"

"Why did you even bother to tell me this much?" Ana demanded

"Because I wanted you to know before you die!" Lance replied

Ana ducked and ran as Lance lunged to grab her, a wooden stake in his hand. She stopped and turned towards Lance, who had balanced himself and was now facing her.

"Don't fight a losing battle" Ana said "On the battlefield, a stake would do wonders. But, when it's between you and me, and I have a gun, you're out of luck."

Lance chuckled. "You really think that those bullets would harm me?"

"There's one way to find out" Ana replied.

She curled her finger around the trigger and shot before Lance had a chance to get out of the way. The bullet hit him in the chest. He staggered back, because of the force of the bullet entering his body. He was stunned for a moment and then stood straight and smiled.

"Nice try"

Ana's eyes widened, thinking that she was done for. But, instead, Lance turned around and threw a sword at her.

"Now!" Lance said "It time for us to fight in the ways that I am most accustomed to, none of these barbaric ways that you are used to"

"What good is this going to do us?" Ana said "It's not like we can bleed to death! It's not like getting stabbed is going to kill us"

"You forget, Anastasia" Lance said "This sword is made of pure silver. Think of what would happen if something pure silver were stabbed through our hearts. Plus, you forget, one way to kill a vampire is to behead them"

Lance swung his sword around, hoping to behead Ana right there and then, but Ana ducked before he had the chance. Ana straightened and took a swing at Lance, but their swords crossed instead.

"Very good, Anastasia" Lance said, as the two held their swords against each other, holding each other back "I had a feeling that you might be able to handle a sword"

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Ana asked, struggling to keep her sword holding Lance back

"Because" Lance replied "Your mother could always handle a sword. In fact, if she had only been a little faster, she would be alive right now."

"Wait!" Ana said "You burned her alive. What does that have to do with a sword fight?"

"I only burned that house down to cover up what had really transpired there" Lance said "Your mother didn't die by being burned alive. She died due to the fact that I beheaded her!"

Ana gritted her teeth and used all of her strength to push Lance away. Lance fell to the ground. Ana put the tip of her sword against his neck.

"You damn bastard!" Ana said "You beheaded her and then you burned her. I have half a mind to do the same to you!"

Lance laughed. "You know that you could never kill me like this" he said "That would mean that you would be like me!"

Ana glared at him for a moment as another explosion rocked the field. "You are going to tell me who hired you and why they wanted my mother dead or I will kill you"

Lance smiled a sly smile, causing Ana to become very confused. He grabbed onto the sword and yanked it towards the ground, away from his neck, causing Ana to fall to the ground. He quickly stood up and put the tip of his sword against her heart.

"I already told you, Anastasia" he said "You could never kill me!"

He lifted the sword away from her heart and up to her cheek. He ran the blade into her cheek, causing her cheek to bleed. Ana breathed deeply as her blood ran down her cheek. Lance smiled an evil smiled and took off into the woods. Ana wiped the blood off of her face as the cut healed and stood up.

Ana was tempted for follow, but knew that it would be of no use. She decided to head back to her family, knowing that she would never forget the information that Lance had told her.

* * *

**_I know. Short chapter. But, I felt it was a good place to stop._**

**_So, I hope you liked this chapter!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	46. Victory Party!

Most of Lance's army had been beaten. The few people who were not injured retreated. With Lance not there, there was no point in continuing.

Everyone cheered when they saw Lance's army retreat. Smiles were on all of their faces. Ana laughed as she ran into Mick's open arms.

"We did it!" exclaimed Ana "We won!"

"You were amazing, Ana" Mick said "I'm so proud of you"

Ana pulled away and smiled. "Thanks, Dad"

"Did you get Lance?" Danielle asked "Is he dead?"

"No" Ana replied "He's not dead. He ran off"

"Typical" Coraline said

"But, he did tell me something that I think all of you should know" Ana said

"What is it, Ana?" Carlo asked

Ana paused for a moment. "He said that while he was the one who killed my mother, he's not the one who wanted her dead"

"Someone wanted Alina dead?" Beth said, shocked "Who?"

Ana shrugged. "He wouldn't tell me" she replied "He only told me that much because he thought that he would be able to kill me"

"Damn it!" exclaimed Shawn "Let's go after the bastard!"

"Another time" Carlo said

"But, Uncle…"

"We should celebrate this victory before plunging ourselves into another battle" Carlo said

"I agree" Josef said "Let's celebrate tomorrow night on the beach behind my mansion"

"Sounds wonderful" Romano said

"See, Ana?" Mick said, smiling "Looks like you'll get to go to the beach again after all"

Ana smiled as everyone headed off of the field and back out to the cars, which surprisingly had no damage to them. She knew that it wouldn't have been a good idea to tell the others about how Alina was really killed. She knew that it would be best to just let them think that Alina was just burned alive.

&&&&&

It was a cool night out on the beach. A few fires had been started, not that they were really needed, but the vampires thought it would look odd to humans if they didn't have some. They were very careful around the spots that were burning, as to not accidentally stepping in one.

Bamboo, fire-lit lamp poles were scattered along the beach, letting even more light brighten up the night. Everyone was sitting in the sand, letting the sand get in-between their toes. Some sat on blankets while others sat on the bare sand. Everyone, with the exception of Beth, was drinking blood and everyone was laughing with their friends.

"What's with the stage, Josef?" Ana asked her godfather, as he walked by her and Nikki, pointing to the small stage set up on the beach "Someone performing?"

"Yeah" Josef said, with a smile "I was hoping you would"

"Oh! Come on, Ana!" Nikki said, before Ana had a chance to respond "Do it!"

"I'd be happy to, Josef" Ana replied, with a smile "And, I have the perfect song to sing for our celebration!"

"Great!" exclaimed Josef "Now, just let me talk to Logan about playing the guitar"

"Don't get your hopes up!" Ana yelled after Josef "He may be the master of Guitar Hero, but that doesn't mean he's the master of actual instruments!"

Ana laughed as she turned back to Nikki, who was looking into the distance. "Something wrong, Nikki?"

"What are Mick and Beth doing?" Nikki asked, not looking at Ana "Why are they walking away from the party?"

"I don't know" Ana said, with a shrug, taking a sip of blood "Maybe they just wanted some privacy"

Nikki turned back to her friend. "You know what's going on, don't you?"

Ana was about to respond when Sarah and Danielle rushed over to them.

"Ana!" exclaimed Danielle "Where is Mick taking Beth?"

"Why do they want to be alone?" Sarah demanded

"Jeez!" exclaimed Ana, backing up from the curious trio "Don't attack me! I don't know what's going on!"

"I have a pretty good idea" Coraline's voice was soft and happy at the same time.

"Tell us!" exclaimed Nikki

Coraline turned to the group of girls, a big smile on her face. "I think he's finally proposing"

&&&&&

"Josef definitely knows how to throw a party" Beth said, as she and Mick walked down the beach "I've never been to a Vampire Beach Party before"

Mick laughed. "Honestly, I haven't either" he replied "I have a feeling the beach part was because of Ana"

"That would make sense" Beth said, with a smile "Especially after she went to the beach during the day"

"Definitely" Mick said, trying not to remember how his daughter almost died in his arms "Boy, we've been through a lot lately"

"Lately meaning almost a year?" Beth said, with a chuckle "I agree"

"Ok, we've been through a lot" Mick corrected himself as he stopped walking "I'm just glad that I went through it with you"

"I'm glad that I went through it with you, too" Beth replied, as she stopped walking

"Good" Mick said, taking something out of his pocket. Beth gasped as he knelt down on the sand.

"Mick?"

"Beth, you and I have been though so much together" Mick said, staring into her eyes "And, I know that I couldn't have gotten through those things without you by my side. I know for a fact, now, that I would have a very hard time going on without you"

He took Beth's hand in his own and held up a beautiful diamond ring.

"Beth, will you marry me?"

Beth was in shock for a moment. "Yes!" she said, finally "Yes, I'll marry you!"

Mick smiled as he slipped the engagement ring on his new fiancé's finger. He stood up and they kissed…only to hear cheering coming from behind them.

"Alright, lovebirds!" Josef said, into the microphone on the stage "The performance is about to begin! Please come to the stage with the rest of us"

Mick and Beth laughed as they walked, arm in arm, back to the stage.

"Who's performing?" Beth asked her fiancé

Mick shrugged. "I have no idea"

"Alright, guys!" a voice said into the microphone on the stage "You ready to rock?"

Mick and Beth's heads turned to the stage when they heard Ana's voice. She was standing with Logan on the small stage that Josef had set up.

"We have so much to celebrate tonight" Ana said, as the crowd began to form around the stage "First, we won!"

The crowd cheered. The members of the Vampire Mafia families who had stayed in L.A. for the party were the loudest.

"And second!" Ana said, making the crowd quiet down, pointing to the newly-engaged couple "Mick and Beth are _finally _engaged!"

The crowd cheered and turned to Mick and Beth, who were smiling.

"So," Ana said, getting the crowd's attention back "I think that this song is appropriate for what we are here for. It was written by DJ Bobo"

Ana turned to Logan, who began playing the guitar. She smiled when she realized that Logan _could_ play a real guitar and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Vampires celebrate  
All creatures of the darkness come together  
Time is now or never, play the game  
Vampires celebrate  
Tonight's the night we're gonna show our passion  
Wear the darkest fashion, for your fame  
Vampires celebrate"

The crowd started cheering as Ana was walking back and forth across the stage, with the microphone in her hand, acting like a true rock star. Some people even started singing and dancing along with Ana.

"All you vampires everywhere  
Blood runs cold accept the dare  
Now it's time to rule the world  
We're jumpin out of our graves  
No more longer deadly slaves  
Take the prize, take it tonight  
So young  
We're gonna be forever young  
Have fun  
The ride has just begun  
Vampires celebrate  
All creatures of the darkness come together  
Time is now or never, play the game  
Vampires celebrate  
Tonight's the night we're gonna show our passion  
Wear the darkest fashion, for your fame  
Vampires celebrate"

Ana walked over to Logan and let him play a small solo, letting him have a turn with the spotlight, before beginning the last verse.

"Let us dress in handsome robes  
Come and spread around the globe  
Because our legend never dies  
There's no chance to run away  
And no place to hide, let's play  
A thousand years we celebrate"

Ana put the microphone back in the stand and looked out into the crowd as she sang the chorus for the last time. She smiled when she saw Sarah, Josef, and Nikki dancing. She scanned the crowd for Eric and Coraline, who were, surprisingly, dancing a little as well. Ana winked and smiled at Eric, who winked back. She was glad that they were able to stay friends.

"Vampires celebrate  
All creatures of the darkness come together  
Time is now or never, play the game  
Vampires celebrate  
Tonight's the night we're gonna show our passion  
Wear the darkest fashion, for your fame  
Vampires celebrate!"

The crowd cheered as Ana and Logan finished their performance.

Ana and Logan bowed and then put their arms around each other as the crowd cheered and clapped for them.

"I guess Rock Band paid off" Ana whispered in Logan's ear

"That and a few lessons I took when I was 14" Logan replied, with a smile.

Ana punched Logan playfully in the arm and smiled. The two laughed as they looked back out into the cheering crowd.

* * *

**_Ok, so the lyrics written in this chapter is an actual song, as most of you probably realized. It was performed by DJ Bobo. It's actually a pretty good song. :)_**

**_Anyways, here's a new chapter!!_**

**_Hope that you like it!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	47. Wedding Bells

Mick and Beth agreed that they wanted to have the wedding as soon as possible. They didn't want to take any chances of Lance coming back or the Vampire Mafia getting out of hand again before they had the chance to get married. The Mariano and Romano Families had been invited to stay for the wedding, but both Families decided that it was time for them to go home.

So, the wedding date was set for December 13, 2008. Giving them about 3 weeks to plan and prepare, everyone was very busy.

Beth's apartment had been transformed into a bridal salon. Sarah had ordered that wedding dresses and accessories from New York be sent to LA, so Beth could try on as many as she wanted and pick the one she would wear, without leaving the comfort of her apartment and wasting time going from shop to shop. Dresses and accessories for the maid-of-honor and bridesmaids were also sent to Beth's apartment. The girls had a lot of fun modeling all of the dresses.

Mick's penthouse had been transformed into where the actual physical organizing and plans would be made. There were planning books everywhere. Phone books were strewn about. Of course, some tuxes were also sent to the penthouse, but the guys weren't really as worried about what tuxes would be best for them.

"Its tradition, Josef" Mick said "I have to"

"No, you don't" Josef said "Sarah and I didn't"

"You barely had anyone at your wedding!"

"I just don't see why we can't skip that part"

"What's going on?" Ana said, as she walked into the penthouse and tossed her car keys on the coffee table

"You know the part of every wedding reception where the bride and groom cut the cake?" Mick asked, turning to his daughter

"Yeah" Ana said "What about it?"

"I'm trying to convince him to skip that part since we can't eat" Josef said "But, he won't listen"

"Guys, this is simple" Ana said "Beth already came up with a plan"

"Which is?" Mick asked

"You are going to feed her a piece of the cake" Ana said, sitting down next to Josef "Then, she's going to take her piece and shove it in your face. I will be somewhere nearby waiting with a towel so you can wipe the cake off of your face. Problem solved!"

Josef chuckled. "I like it" he said "I wish I thought of that"

"That just doesn't seem right" Mick said, through a chuckle

"Oh! Come on, Dad!" Ana said "This isn't 1952! Besides, you have no other choice!"

"Fine" Mick said "I'll have the cake shoved in my face"

Ana smiled. "Good!" she said "Oh! Josef, remind me to have my camera handy!"

&&&&&

It was a bright sunny day. There was a light, cool breeze, making the air only a little bit cooler than your average day in LA.

The Turner and St. John households were very busy on this sunny December day. With the wedding less than 3 hours away, everyone was making sure that nothing had been forgotten.

"Do we have the flowers?" Josef said, talking to his staff on the phone "Did the flowers get to the church and reception hall?"

"Ana!" Mick yelled "Are you going to go to Beth's house or are you going to the church with us?"

"I'm trying to figure that out now" Ana yelled back

"And the food?" Josef said "Don't forget, we have humans coming to this thing"

"I'm going to Beth's house" Ana said, coming down the stairs. "I'll take my car"

"Ok" Mick said, with a nod "Be careful"

Although he knew that his daughter was an excellent driver, Mick was more than a little nervous when Josef and Sarah had given Ana a shiny, black convertible; a mixture of a belated birthday present and a congrats for being the Vampire Princess present. Ana fell in love with the car automatically and wanted to drive it whenever she had the chance.

"And you're sure that there are vampires on the kitchen staff at the hotel?" Josef said

"Boy, he's more nervous than you are" Ana said, grabbing her car keys and putting her sunglasses on

"Well, you know Josef" Mick said, handing his daughter her dress bag "He's always thorough"

Ana chuckled and sighed. "Well, see you at the altar, Dad"

Mick smiled and hugged his daughter. "See you there"

Mick pulled away and smiled as Ana waved and left the penthouse. He let out a sigh and went upstairs to get ready for his wedding.

&&&&&

"Where's the eyeliner?" Ana heard Danielle yell as she walked up to Beth's apartment "We need the eyeliner!"

"It should be in the bathroom" Sarah replied as Ana walked into the apartment "That's where I left it"

"Got it!" Danielle replied "Thank you"

"Hey, Ana" Nikki said, with a sigh "How's everything?"

"I think that Josef is going to go crazy checking and double checking that he got everything" Ana said, causing Sarah to chuckle

"What about Mick?" Ana heard Beth yell from the bathroom

"He's fine" Ana replied "Cool as a cucumber"

"Oh! That's right!" Danielle said "He's been through this before"

"Speaking of that" Sarah said "Is Coraline meeting us here or at the church?"

"At the church" Beth replied, running a brush through her hair

"Do you think she's going to be ok today?" Nikki asked "I mean, you are marrying her ex-husband"

"Coraline has already assured me that she is happy for me and Mick" Beth explained "She knows that Mick has moved on and she knows that it's time for her to move on as well"

"Well, that's a plus" Ana said "I was seriously afraid that we'll have some big drama to deal with"

"Oh, there'll be drama" Danielle said "There's always drama of some sort at a wedding"

The group of girls laughed as they went back to preparing themselves for the wedding.

&&&&&

Ben Talbot had been more than a little surprised when he got an invitation to Mick St. John and Beth Turner's wedding. He knew that he wasn't one of Mick's favorite people. But, he did get along with Beth, since they worked together, so he figured that it was probably her idea to invite him.

As he got out of his car and looked at the church, he noticed that Ana was standing at the door with a girl that he didn't recognize, greeting some of the guests.

"Ben!" exclaimed Ana, when she saw him walking up the stairs "How have you been?"

"Not bad, Ana, yourself?" Ben replied

"I'm great!" Ana replied "Oh! Ben, this is my best friend, Nicole Kostan. Nikki, this is Ben Talbot. He works with Beth"

"Oh!" Nikki said "Nice to meet you, Mr. Talbot"

"Please, call me Ben" he said "Did you say your name was Kostan?"

Nikki nodded.

"Any relation to Josef Kostan?" Ben asked

"Yes" Nikki replied "I am"

"Ah!" Ben said, with a smile "I see"

"Did you ever find out who killed those two people in the park?" Ana asked "I know it's not really appropriate for today's events, but it's been bugging me"

Ben chuckled. "Unfortunately no" he said "Looks like we have a cold case on our hands"

"I'm sorry" Ana said "Well, I better let you go. Enjoy the ceremony"

"Thanks" Ben said "See you at the reception"

As Ben walked away, Nikki leaned in to talk to Ana.

"Did we ever figure out why Lance killed those people?" she asked

"Oh, I figured that out a while ago" Ana said "The two victims simply found out too much information about Lance and his operations"

"Remind me never to eavesdrop again" Nikki said

"Oh! That won't happen!" Ana said, with a smile "You're a natural born gossiper!"

The two girls laughed and, after making sure that no more guests were heading in, headed off to find the bride and groom.

&&&&&

Ana and Nikki gasped when they saw Beth. She was absolutely beautiful. The wedding dress she had picked made her look absolutely gorgeous.

Her dress was as white as snow, with small pink roses and jewels sewn onto the dress. Her shoulders were left uncovered, letting her blonde curls flow freely on them. A diamond pendant hung from her neck. Her veil was attached to a diamond tiara and her train, like Sarah's had been, was at least 3 feet long.

"Oh. My. God" Nikki said, as the two girls walked into the room Beth was using as a changing room "Beth, you look absolutely amazing!"

"Doesn't she?" Sarah said "I knew we made the right choice when we picked this dress!"

"I love the roses and jewels" Danielle said "They make the dress look amazing!"

"Um, guys" Beth said, glancing at Ana "Can Ana and I have a moment alone please?"

Sarah, Danielle, and Nikki smiled small smiles. "Sure" Sarah said "We better go and see if Coraline is here yet anyways"

After they left, Beth turned to Ana.

"So, here we are"

"Yeah" Ana replied, quietly "Here we are"

"I just wanted to make sure that nothing changes between us" Beth said "I want you to know that you can still tell me anything. Just because I'm marrying your father, that doesn't mean that I'm automatically the evil step-mother"

Ana chuckled. "I know" she said "You're going to be a great step-mother. Don't worry. Nothing will change"

Beth couldn't help but notice the tears in Ana's eyes. "Ana?" she said "What's wrong?"

Ana let out another weak chuckle. "It's just that…" she began "You remind me so much of my mother"

Beth's eyes widened a little bit. "I do?"

Ana nodded and smiled. "You're nice, smart, and beautiful" she said "Just like my mother"

"Listen, Ana" Beth said "Mick and I were discussing this earlier. I might as well ask you now while we're alone together"

"Something wrong?" Ana asked

"No" Beth said "It's just that…"

She paused for a moment.

"We were wondering if, after the wedding and honeymoon and those things…" Beth continued "We were wondering if you would like it if I adopted you"

Ana's eyes widened. "You mean…?"

"I would legally be your mother" Beth said "And you would legally be my daughter"

Ana smiled. "I'd like that"

Beth put her arm around her soon-to-be daughter. "I want you to know that I will never try to replace your mother"

Ana turned to Beth and looked in her eyes. "I know you won't try to do that" she said "You have already filled the hole in my heart that was made when she died. And, I am proud to be able to call you my mother"

Beth smiled as tears came to her eyes. She pulled Ana into her embrace.

"And, you don't have to actually call me 'Mom' if you don't feel comfortable doing that" Beth said, as the two pulled away from each other "I totally understand"

Ana chuckled. "Thanks" she said "I think I would feel very weird suddenly jumping from calling you 'Beth' to calling you 'Mom'"

Beth smiled and laughed. "Well," she said "Let's get this show on the road!"

Ana smiled as Beth grabbed her bouquet of flowers and they headed out to the back of the church.

&&&&&

Josef could tell that Mick was getting more and more nervous by the minute. He had changed since Ana had left the apartment a few hours before. Mick kept cracking his knuckles, running his fingers through his hair, rocking back and forth on his heels. Josef couldn't help but chuckle.

"Mick, calm down" he said "Everything's going to be fine"

"You know something?" Mick said "I wasn't this nervous when I married Coraline"

"That's because you are marrying your true love" Josef said "It's different. You start to worry if your relationship would be different once the rings get on the fingers…"

"You weren't nervous at your wedding"

"Oh, I was nervous" Josef said "I just hid it better than you are"

"Maybe I'm nervous because of two reasons, then"

"What?" Josef said "Are you talking about Ana?"

Mick nodded. "This is affecting her too, Josef" he said "Back when I married Coraline, I didn't have to worry about anyone else being affected by my marriage. This time, it's different"

"Mick, this is stupid" Josef said "You know that you have nothing to worry about. Ana has been waiting for you and Beth to get married since the paternity test results came back positive"

Mick turned to look at his best friend.

"Mick, your dream is finally coming true" Josef said "You have a daughter and you are about to marry your one true love. There's nothing to be worried about."

Mick nodded and smiled a small smile as the organ started playing. This was it. Mick St. John's last moments of being a bachelor. He let out a deep breath as he watched Danielle lead the bridal party down the aisle.

&&&&&

The bridal party was all dressed in dark, red dresses; much like the one Beth wore when she went to the dedication ceremony at Hearst College.

Danielle's dark, brown hair had been straightened and was flowing down her shoulders.

Nikki's black hair had been curled and was pulled back into a ponytail. Josef couldn't help but smile at his daughter's beauty.

Coraline's dark, brown hair had been left the way she usually kept it – the ends of her hair curled while the rest was straightened. She was, surprisingly, smiling, much like the others, as she walked down the aisle. Mick and Josef had been afraid that she would cause a problem, but, after seeing her smile, they knew that she, too, had moved on.

Mick smiled when he saw Ana walk down the aisle. Her dark, brown hair had been curled, again. He chuckled when he saw how excited Ana was.

Sarah came next, her reddish, brown hair curled. Josef couldn't help but smile and wink at his wife as she walked by.

Mick's heart skipped a beat when he saw Beth walking down the aisle. Immediately, all of his previous fears vanished. He knew that he was doing the right thing. He knew that he made the right decision.

Taking Beth's hand in his, Mick smiled as the two turned towards the priest.

"We are gathered here today" the priest began "Join these two together in Holy Matrimony"

Mick and Beth stole a glance at each other and smiled.

"Michael St. John" the priest said "Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

Mick turned and looked at Beth. "I do"

Ana smiled. She never did know her father's real name.

"Elizabeth Turner" the priest said "Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

Beth looked at Mick. "I do"

The priest smiled. "The rings?"

Beth turned to Sarah and Mick turned to Josef. Once they got the rings, they turned back to each other and slipped them on each other's fingers.

"I now pronounce you, man and wife!" the priest said, with a smile "You may kiss the bride!"

The couple smiled as they leaned in to kiss each other.

"I now present to you" the priest said, once Mick and Beth pulled away from each other "Mr. and Mrs. Michael St. John!"

The bridal party erupted in cheers as the rest of the church clapped. Mick and Beth smiled as they linked arms and walked down the aisle, followed by the bridal party. Eric and David, who had been the ushers during the ceremony, kept on cheering as the newly married couple and the bridal party made their way out of the church.

* * *

**_Wow!! Long chapter!! _**

**_So, I am assuming that "Beth" is short for "Elizabeth". And, I found on a website that "Mick" is a nickname for "Michael". So, that's how I came up with their names!_**

**_Hope that you liked the chapter!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	48. The Wedding Reception

The California Marsh Golf Course's Ballroom, a very fancy and expensive place, was filled with people who had gone to Mick and Beth's wedding. They were all seated at tables and were awaiting the arrival of the Bridal Party, who was busy getting their pictures taken.

Eric and David had been the first ones to arrive at the reception hall. They made sure that the DJ was all set and that everything was perfect before calling Josef and telling him that his staff had gotten everything right. They were also put in charge of telling the DJ when the bridal party arrived at the reception.

"Alright! Check it out!" the DJ said "I've just been informed that the Bridal Party has arrived! If you would all focus your attention to the door, we can begin!"

A spotlight was put onto the door.

"We have the bridesmaids!" the DJ continued "Danielle Mariano and Coraline DuVall!"

The crowd started to clap as Danielle and Coraline came into the ballroom, smiles on their faces, and took their seats.

"Now, we have the best man and the maid of honor!" the DJ said "Josef and Sarah Kostan!"

Josef and Sarah walked into the ballroom, with their arms linked and smiles on their faces, and took their seats. The crowd continued to clap.

"Now, we have one of the junior bridesmaids," the DJ said "Miss. Nicole Kostan!"

The crowd continued to clap as Nikki came into the ballroom. Nikki smiled and took her seat.

"Here's something we don't get too often" the DJ said "We have the groom's daughter, Miss. Anastasia St. John!"

With a huge smile on her face, and the crowd still clapping, Ana walked into the ballroom and took her seat next to Nikki.

"Well, aren't you special?" Nikki said

"You know it!" Ana said, with a smile. She and Nikki started laughing.

"And now," the DJ said "It's my honor to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Mick and Beth St. John!"

The crowd started cheering when Mick and Beth walked into the room. They paused in the middle of the ballroom floor, smiled, and waved at everyone before taking their seats with the rest of the bridal party.

&&&&&

The reception was one of the best parties Ana had ever been too. The music wasn't too loud, meaning that you could talk to people without yelling, and everyone was dancing and laughing. No one was causing any trouble.

Mick and Beth danced a lot. With each other. With friends. Mick even danced with Coraline, which surprised almost everyone.

David and Nikki danced together a lot, which of course made Ana immediately think that there was something going on between them. She made a mental note to herself to make sure to ask Nikki about it later.

Josef and Sarah mainly danced during the slow songs. But, when a song from "their" era came on, Ana knew that she could always find them on the dance floor.

Ana was surprised when Eric had asked her to dance. They hadn't danced together since the school dance, a couple days before she was almost killed. And of course, he asked her to dance with him during one of the slow songs.

"So, Princess" he said, with a smile "How are you doing?"

"I'm as happy as anyone can be right now" Ana replied "Not too many people can say that they've done the things that we did, you know"

Eric laughed. "That's true" he said "We have definitely had an adventure"

"And to think that the adventures are only beginning" Ana said, smiling

Eric chuckled, and then his face became somewhat serious. "Listen, Ana" he said "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about"

"What is it?" Ana asked

"It's just that…um…" Eric began "I…"

"Alright, guys!" the DJ said "Clear the dance floor! It's time for a special dance between two very special people!"

"So, you were saying?" Ana said, as she and Eric sat down at a table

"Yeah, um…" Eric said "I just wanted to tell you that…"

"Alright!" the DJ said, again "We don't get this too often. But, due to the circumstances, instead of the traditional father/bride dance, I'd like to invite the groom and his daughter to come to the dance floor to share a special dance."

The guests "awed" as Mick walked out to the dance floor.

"Tell me later, ok?" Ana said, getting up from the table and heading over to Mick

"Ok" Eric said, knowing that Ana couldn't hear him

Eric knew that, even if Ana hadn't been "called away", he wouldn't be able to tell her what he wanted to – he wouldn't have been able to tell her that he loved her. He didn't want to take the chance of messing up their friendship. So, he knew that he would have to wait before he told Ana his true feelings for her. And, who knows? Maybe she felt the same way about him. Maybe she didn't. And, this opened up the door for Eric to go and see other people. He knew that he would always love Ana, no matter what. But, he also knew that, in the very least, he and Ana would always remain close friends.

&&&&&

Ana smiled as she walked up to Mick and the song "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion began to play.

"So, did you plan this?" Ana asked, as the two began to dance

"No" Mick said "I didn't. But, I think that I know who did"

Mick and Ana stole a glance at Beth, who smiled.

"Beth's parents died a few years ago" Mick explained, causing Ana to nod "That's why she did this"

"So, you're married again" Ana said "How does it feel, Michael?"

"It feels great, Anastasia" Mick replied, with a smile "It feels absolutely amazing"

"Ah!" Ana said "I see"

They were quiet for a moment.

"Did Beth tell you about her news?"

Mick's face automatically became confused. "No…"

Ana chuckled. "I've agreed to become her daughter legally"

Mick's face brightened and he hugged his daughter just as the song ended, causing the crowd to clap. "Really?" he said, pulling away "You really are?"

Ana nodded as she and Mick walked off of the dance floor. "I'm not going to be like those girls on TV or in the movies who become the evil step-daughter the moment their father gets married" she said "I am truly happy for you and Beth. And, even though I will never forget my mother, I know that it's time for me to move on"

"Wait, so you're not going to try and find her killer?"

"I never said that" Ana replied "I'm just not going to continue to mourn over her death. She wouldn't have wanted that. She wouldn't want me to deny myself the chance to have another mother"

Mick smiled a small smile.

"Mick!" they heard Beth exclaim "Come on! It's time to cut the cake!"

Mick almost winced. Ana chuckled.

"Go on!" she said "I'll go get the towel"

&&&&&

The cutting of the cake was as comical as Ana had thought it would be. Everyone gathered around a three tiered cake as Mick and Beth both grabbed the knife and slowly cut into it. Danielle and Eric were taking pictures as Mick put a chunk of the cake into Beth's mouth. David took a video as Beth shoved a chunk of cake into Mick's face. The crowd laughed as Mick turned and Ana gave him a towel. No one even noticed that Ana was prepared for that situation.

"Great party" Guillermo said, as he and Logan walked up behind Ana and Nikki. "One of the best I've been to in a while"

"I agree" Logan said "It's a great party!"

"Well, thank you" Ana said "I'll be sure to let everyone know that you are having a great time"

"You two look very nice in those suits, by the way" Nikki said, smiling

Logan and Guillermo smiled. "Thanks, Nikki"

Ana and Nikki waved small waves as Logan and Guillermo walked over to get some drinks.

"Well, I think that this whole thing went over pretty well" Ana said "Considering the fact that we planned it within 3 weeks"

"Are you kidding me?" Nikki said "This has been the most amazing party I've ever been to! Everything was perfect!"

"Yeah" Ana said, her eyes staring off into the distance "Would you excuse me?"

Nikki was about to say something when Ana walked away. When she saw who Ana was walking to, she completely understood.

&&&&&

"Coraline?" Ana said "Are you ok?"

Coraline looked up into the eyes of her ex-husband's daughter. "Yeah" she said "I'm fine"

"You look sad" Ana said, sitting down in a chair next to Coraline "Is something wrong?"

"Wrong?" Coraline said "Why would anything be wrong?"

"Oh, I don't know" Ana said "I mean, it's not like your ex-husband just got married or anything"

Coraline chuckled. "You're very good at that"

"I do try" Ana said, smiling

Coraline sighed. "I guess that I'm afraid that Mick will shut me out again" she said "I know he only talked to me again because of the whole war thing"

"I won't let him do that" Ana replied "There's no reason for him to still be mad at you. I think that he knows that he can trust you again"

"But, what if he doesn't?" Coraline asked. She paused and Ana could tell that Coraline was near tears.

Ana put her hand on Coraline's shoulder. "It's going to be ok" she said "You are not going to be shut out"

"Coraline!"

Ana and Coraline looked up as they saw Mick walking towards them.

"Yes, Mick?" Coraline said

"You want to dance?" Mick asked "My wife is dancing with Eric. So, I thought that you might want to dance with me again."

Coraline smiled as she took Mick's hand and stood up. She looked at Ana.

"See?" Ana said "Told you that you wouldn't be shut out"

Mick and Coraline smiled as they headed to the dance floor. Ana sighed, smiled, and crossed her arms. She was glad that Mick wasn't still holding things against Coraline. She was glad that she could get close to her aunt and call her one of her friends.

&&&&&

It was finally time for Mick and Beth to head off for their honeymoon. They were going to stay in California, but were going to go to a ski resort. The weather forecast had said that it was going to be cloudy up near the ski resorts, so Mick wouldn't have to worry about the sun.

"Ok, so you packed some clothes, right?" Mick said

"Yes, Dad" Ana said "My suitcase is already at Josef's"

"Good" Mick said "And you have the number of our hotel, in case something happens, right?"

"Yes, Dad" Ana said, again "It's in my suitcase"

"Ok" Mick said, smiling, bending down to give his daughter a hug "I'll see you in a week"

"Ok" Ana said, as they pulled away from each other "Have fun"

Mick smiled as he hurried off to change out of his tuxedo. Ana turned and saw Beth hurrying over to her.

"You're all set, right?" Beth said

Ana chuckled. "Don't worry about me" she said, with a smile "All you have to worry about is getting out of that dress and meeting up with your husband at the car"

Beth smiled as she hugged her daughter. "Once we get home, we'll sign those adoption papers, ok?"

"I can't wait" Ana said, as they pulled away from each other.

Beth smiled and then hurried off to get out of her dress. Ana chuckled again and headed off to find her godparents, Nikki, Eric, David, Danielle, and Coraline.

* * *

**_Hope that you like this chapter!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	49. Christmas Preparations

"That was the best party I have ever been to!" Nikki said, as she, Ana, Josef, and Sarah walked into the Kostan Mansion "I had so much fun!"

"Me too" Ana agreed "We should have parties like that more often!"

Josef chuckled. "I'm glad you liked it" he said "Now, it's late. We should all get some rest"

"Ooh! Josef being all fatherly!" Ana said, as she and Nikki headed up the stairs "This is different!"

"I heard that!" Josef yelled, up to Ana, as Sarah chuckled.

"Oh, I think that it suits you" Sarah said, wrapping her arms around her husband's neck "It suits you very nicely"

"Well, what can I say?" Josef said "I'm a man with many hats"

Sarah laughed. "That you are"

"Well, Mrs. Kostan" Josef said, motioning to the stairs "Shall we?"

Sarah smiled. "We shall"

&&&&&

Ana and Nikki woke up early the next morning. They had made plans with David and Eric to meet them at the mall so they could start their Christmas shopping.

After quickly heading to the St. John penthouse to grab Ana's wallet, Ana and Nikki headed to the mall. They saw David and Eric waiting for them in David's car and parked next to them.

"You girls ready to do some shopping?" David asked, as they got out of the car

"Did you even have to ask?" Nikki replied, with a smile

"Where to first?" Eric asked "Are we all going to split up or are we going to shop together?"

"It depends" Ana replied, as the group started walking towards the entrance to the mall "Do you guys have a lot of shopping to do?"

David and Eric shrugged. "We're buying for the same people you are so…"

"Let's do it together!" Nikki said "It will be more fun!"

"Works for me" Ana said "Is it ok with you guys?"

David and Eric nodded. "But" Eric said "We get to pick where we pretend to eat for lunch!"

Ana and Nikki laughed as they walked into the mall. "Ooh! Let's go to Macy's first!" Nikki said "Josef said that Sarah loves that store!"

"Alright" David said "Lead the way, Miss. Kostan"

Ana turned back to talk to Eric as David and Nikki made their way into the store, but noticed that Eric hadn't moved and was staring at something. Confused, she walked up to him.

"Something wrong, Eric?" Ana asked

"What?" Eric said, turning to Ana "No. Sorry. I…got…distracted"

Ana turned to see what Eric was looking at and automatically understood. There was a girl sitting on a bench, texting someone on her cell phone. She had dark, brown hair and brown eyes and her skin had a slight tan.

"Go talk to her" Ana said

"Why would I go do that?" Eric asked "I don't even know her"

"Oh! Come on!" Ana said "You're tall, dark, and handsome. Any girl would die to be your girlfriend"

"Really?" Eric said "I never thought I'd hear you of all people say that to me"

"Well, when we first met, I thought you were a jerk. I wasn't going to tell you that" Ana said "But, now that we're friends, consider that a compliment"

Ana smiled and then turned to go into Macy's. Eric smiled as he turned back to look at the girl on the bench. He was glad to know what Ana thought of him.

&&&&&

"Ana!" exclaimed Nikki, when she saw her friend walk towards them "What do you think of this perfume for Sarah?"

Nikki sprayed a little into the air. Ana immediately started coughing.

"Good God!" exclaimed Ana "What the hell is that?"

"Vanilla and Lilac" Nikki replied "Too strong?"

Ana nodded as she started coughing again.

"See?" David said "I told you. Just plain lilac would be better"

"Fine" Nikki said, putting the perfume bottle back on the counter "Where's Eric?"

"He's talking to some girl" Ana replied, after she stopped coughing again

"Really?" David said "That's interesting"

"Hey guys!"

Ana, Nikki, and David turned to see Eric and the girl sitting on the bench walk towards them.

"Hey" Nikki said "What's going on?"

"This is Kara. Kara Standish" Eric said "She's going to be shopping with us"

"I hope you don't mind" Kara said "I hope I'm not intruding"

"Any friend of Eric's is a friend of ours" David said "Hi, I'm David West"

Kara smiled as she shook David's hand. "Pleasure to meet you"

It was then that Kara noticed the smell in the air. "Wait!" she said "You're…"

"Yes" David said "And apparently, so are you"

Kara blushed a little. "Wow!" she said "Before today, I never met vamps my age before"

"Well, it's a good thing Eric found you" Nikki said, smiling "Hi, I'm Nicole Kostan, but everyone calls me Nikki"

Kara shook Nikki's hand. "Nice to meet you"

She was still smiling when she turned to Ana.

"Hi" Ana said, shaking Kara's hand "I'm Anastasia St. John, but you can call me Ana"

"Nice to meet…" Kara stopped when she saw the birthmark on Ana's arm "Oh. My. God"

"Yeah" Eric said "Um…Ana's…"

"I'm the Vampire Princess" Ana finished, bringing her voice down to a whisper "But, don't let that fact get in the way of us being friends"

Kara nodded and smiled. "Nice to meet you, Ana"

"Well, now that the introductions are over with, let's get on with the shopping!" Eric said

&&&&&

They spent at least 4 hours at the mall. The reason it took so long is because they went to the arcade for a couple hours, playing all the games the arcade could offer.

"That was so much fun" Kara said, as they walked out of the mall "I've haven't had fun like that in a while"

"It doesn't have to end if you don't want it to" Ana said, with a sly smile

"What are you planning?" Eric asked

"Well, since my house is empty" Ana said "We can go and hang out there. It will just be us. We can listen to music, watch a movie, whatever"

"I like the sound of that" David said "I'll go"

"Count me in" Nikki said

"I'm game" Eric said "Kara?"

Kara thought for a moment. "Sure" she said "Sounds like fun"

"Good!" Ana said "Oh! Kara, did you drive here?"

Kara nodded.

"Well, just follow one of us to my house, ok?" Ana said "I drive that black convertible over there and David drives that blue truck"

Kara nodded again and the group headed off to their cars. They waited for a minute for Kara to drive up to them and then they headed to the St. John penthouse.

&&&&&

Kara was in total shock when she walked into the St. John penthouse.

"Ana…" she said "This place is amazing!"

"Thanks" Ana said "I'm glad that you like it"

"Alright!" Eric said, sitting on the couch "What shall we do first?"

"I have the perfect idea!" Nikki exclaimed "Why don't we make it a Christmas party? Christmas is only a week away. And, we can get our presents wrapped"

"I like that idea" Ana said "Any objections?"

"I'll get us some blood" David said, heading into the kitchen

"Let the party begin!" Eric said, turning the stereo on

&&&&&

"So, Ana" Nikki said, as the group were wrapping their presents "When are Mick and Beth coming back?"

"Next week" Ana replied "They'll be back just in time for Christmas"

"Who are Mick and Beth?" Kara asked

"Oh!" Ana said "Sorry. Mick is my father and Beth is his new wife. They just got married yesterday"

"Oh! That's great" Kara said, with a smile "Do you mind if I ask what happened between your father and your mother?"

It suddenly got quiet. David, Eric, and Nikki immediately looked at Ana, not sure about how she would react.

"God, guys!" Ana said "You're acting like I'm going to blow up! Relax!"

Ana was smiling as she turned back to Kara. "My father and mother were never married. They only met once in their lifetimes and that was the night my mother got pregnant with me. My mother died back in July in a fire. She was murdered"

Kara's eyes widened in shock. "I'm so sorry" she said "I shouldn't have asked…"

"Don't worry about it" Ana said "If you are going to be one of our friends, you would have found out eventually"

Kara smiled. "Did they ever find who killed your mother?"

"We already found who killed her" Eric said "My adoptive uncle, Lance, killed Ana's mother. But, now we are on a new mission"

"New mission?"

"Someone hired Lance to kill Ana's mom" David explained "Now, we have to track down who wanted Ana's mother dead and why"

"You can help if you want" Ana said "It's bound to be an interesting adventure"

Kara smiled. "I'd like that" she said "Do we have contacts in the police department or anything?"

"Well," Nikki said "Beth does work in the DA's office, but we have other contacts that are going to help us"

"Like who?"

There was a pause for a moment.

"The Vampire Mafia" Eric finally said

Kara's mouth dropped open. "But, I thought that…"

"They are still in operation, but they are operating secretly" Ana explained "No one can know that they still exist. My mother's side of the family is the Mariano Family, a mafia family and the ruling vampire family"

"Wow" Kara said "Don't worry. I won't say a word"

"Oh, and one more thing" Ana said, smiling "I am the head of a mafia family. But, our family is the Vampire Protectors. We protect the vampire community from any threats and we also keep the Vampire Mafia Families in check to make sure that they don't do anything bad. You want to join?"

Kara was silent for a moment, most likely processing everything Ana had just told her. "Hell yes!" she finally said "Totally!"

The others chuckled. "Good" Ana said "Welcome to the family!"

Kara smiled and the group got back to their present wrapping.

* * *

**_Hope that you like the chapter!!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!_**


	50. Christmas

The next week went by quickly. Ana was having such a great time staying at the mansion and hanging out with her friends that she almost forgot about Mick and Beth coming home.

"Mick called and said that they will be home by tonight" Josef said, at breakfast the day that Mick and Beth were due to come back. "They wanted to take their time coming home"

"Alright" Ana said "I'll pack after breakfast"

"Pack?" Sarah said "You don't have to pack. Didn't Josef tell you?"

Nikki and Ana looked at each other and then back at Josef and Sarah. "No…" Ana replied "What's going on?"

"Because of the fact that the penthouse is not decorated for Christmas, and the mansion is, you're going to stay here through Christmas" Josef said, smiling "Mick and Beth are going to stay here too"

"And!" Sarah said, with a smile "We are having a huge Christmas party on Christmas day. Everyone is coming over"

"Are you serious?" Nikki said, excitedly "This is awesome!"

Ana was speechless. "Ana?" Josef said "Is something wrong?"

"No" Ana said, smiling "This is going to be the best Christmas I've ever had!"

&&&&&

"Do you think Ana knows about the whole staying-at-Josef's-thing?" Beth asked her husband as they pulled into the driveway of the Kostan mansion

"Probably" Mick replied "I don't think it was supposed to be a surprise"

"It will be nice to have everyone together for the holidays" Beth said, as the two got out of the car

"It will be especially good because of what this Christmas is for Ana" Mick said "This is her first Christmas without her mother"

"Speaking of which" Beth said "Does Josef have the papers that we need to sign for the stepparent adoption?"

"Yes" Mick replied, putting an arm around his wife "They are waiting inside for us"

"I can't wait until its made official" Beth said, smiling "It's so exciting!"

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Mick asked, as they stopped in front of the front door of Josef and Sarah's mansion "You don't have to"

"Of course I do" Beth said "Besides, what difference would it make if I adopted her or not? I'd still be your wife. She'd still be my step-daughter. All this is doing is making her my daughter in the eyes of the government"

Mick smiled. "I guess you're right" he said "Come on. Let's go inside and see our daughter"

&&&&&

"Dad!" exclaimed Ana, when she saw her parents "Beth! You're back!"

Mick and Beth smiled as Ana walked up to them, hugging them both, with Josef, Nikki, and Sarah close behind.

"How was your trip?" Sarah asked "Did the weather cooperate?"

Mick and Beth chuckled. "Yes" Beth said "Yes, it did"

"I had a lot of fun" Mick said, putting an arm around his wife, smiling "I think we'll go back there eventually"

"For a second honeymoon?" Josef said, with a smile

"No" Mick said, as Beth laughed "As a group. Have you guys ever been skiing? It's amazing!"

"I haven't" Ana said "What about you, Nikki?"

"Does cross-country count?" Nikki asked "Because I've done that before"

"Cross-country skiing is nothing like skiing down a mountain" Mick said, getting all excited and boy-like as he began to explain the experience to the two teenagers "The wind whips in your face, snow gets in your hair"

"Don't forget when you go over the jumps" Josef said, getting just as excited "The exhilaration, the feeling like you are on top of the world"

"Come on, Sarah" Beth said, smiling at her husband "Let's let the kids play"

Sarah nodded and chuckled as she and Beth headed into the kitchen of the Kostan Mansion.

&&&&&

Christmas Eve arrived quickly. Everyone was excited about their big Christmas celebration, which included singing, dancing, telling stories and playing games. Of course, no one could forget the presents.

The tree was surrounded by presents. Big boxes, little boxes. Long boxes, short boxes. Each box was wrapped in beautiful paper, paper with everything "Christmassy" you could imagine.

"Do we have a present for everyone?" Sarah asked, as she and Josef put the last few presents under the tree "We didn't forget anyone, did we?"

"I doubt it" Josef said "There's enough presents under here for an army"

Sarah laughed. "Do you realize what this whole thing means?"

Josef smiled. "Our first Christmas together" he said "Isn't it amazing?"

"It's the best present I could have ever asked for" Sarah said, wrapping her arms around her husband

"I agree" Josef said "I couldn't ask for anything more"

&&&&&

Christmas Morning was bright and sunny. Ana woke up to feel the warmth of the sun on her face. She smiled, got out of bed, and went to the window.

"Merry Christmas, Mom" Ana said, as she looked out into the sunlight "Merry Christmas"

"Ana!" exclaimed Nikki "Merry Christmas!"

Ana turned to see Nikki standing in the doorway, praying that Nikki didn't hear Ana talking to Alina. She laughed. "Merry Christmas, Nikki"

"Everyone's already awake" Nikki said "Come on! We have to get ready before the others get here and our party begins!"

"Alright" Ana said "I'll be down in a few minutes"

"God!" Nikki said, suddenly "I never chose what I am going to wear!"

"Well, go girl, go!" Ana said, smiling "Christmas isn't waiting for you to choose what you want to wear!"

Ana chuckled as Nikki ran out of the room. Ana shook her head and headed to her closet to pick out what she was going to wear that day.

&&&&&

Ana decided to wear her favorite black pants and a red shirt with a white sweater over it. She let her hair flow past her shoulders and put a red headband in to keep her bangs from getting in her face.

She was not surprised to see Nikki wearing a black, velvet skirt and green top. Nikki had always been one for wearing skirts on special occasions, while Ana tried desperately to get away with wearing some nice pants.

"Merry Christmas!" came a chorus of voices as Ana and Nikki walked into the living room of the Kostan mansion. Everyone, with the exception of Kara who was with her family, was ready for Christmas to begin.

"Merry Christmas" Nikki replied, as she and Ana sat down on a couch

"So, what first?" David asked "Breakfast? Presents?"

"Presents!" exclaimed Eric "That will take the longest"

"Alright" Josef said "Let's begin!"

&&&&&

By the end of the unwrapping, the entire floor of the living room was covered in wrapping paper and empty boxes. The teens had fun taking the wrapping paper and throwing it at each other, causing the adults to smile and laugh.

"I couldn't imagine a more perfect Christmas" Danielle said, taking a sip of blood

"I agree" Coraline said "Everyone is together. Everyone is happy. What more can you want?"

"How about some Christmas carols?" Mick suggested "It's not Christmas without carols"

"I agree" Josef said "It's time for carols"

"Do we have someone to play the piano?" Sarah asked

"I can" Beth said

"Good!" exclaimed Danielle "Let's go!"

"Guys!" Josef said, causing the teens to stop their little game of catch "Time for Christmas carols"

"Ooh! Christmas carols!" exclaimed Nikki "My favorite!"

"Who wants to sing first?" Mick asked

Everyone pointed at Ana. Not because they didn't want to sing, but because they knew that she had a really, really good voice.

"I guess I will" Ana said, with a small smile

"Alright" Beth said, preparing herself at the piano "How about we start with 'Silent Night'?"

"Perfect" Josef said "Whenever you're ready"

Ana nodded and took in a deep breath.

"Silent Night, Holy Night

All Is Calm, All Is Bright

Round Yon Virgin, Mother and Child

Holy Infants so tender and mild…"

At this point in the song, everyone else joined in. Ana smiled as she looked at her family. Everyone smiling and singing. She couldn't have wished for a happier ending.

**The End

**2008 – 2009

**To Be Continued….

* * *

**_Well, here it is. The final chapter of the first book in the "Ana Series"._**

**_I would like to thank all the people who reviewed this story. You guys are amazing! Thank you so much! You have made this my most reviewed story yet! :)_**

**_So, be on the look out for the sequel. But, I have to warn everyone, I only have 60-some-odd pages of that story done. I haven't (sadly) been inspired for that story as I have for my other stories. I'm hoping to get some inspiration soon._**

**_I hope that you like this chapter and liked this story!_**

**_Please Read and Review!!!!_**


End file.
